One month into an expanding conflict in the Middle East, an increasing amount of civilian infrastructure is being struck – frequently by design.
Factories producing steel, aluminum and chemicals; refineries; reservoirs; desalination plants; civilian airports and universities have all been hit.
A few such targets might be described as underpinning a country’s war machine. Last week Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of attacks on “additional targets and areas that assist the regime in building and operating weapons against Israeli civilians.” Soon afterwards, Israel stuck several steel plants.
Analysts say the economic and social costs of strikes by Iran and Israel…