The U.S. ruling establishment is sacrificing whatever remains of international law and human ethics in pursuit of its warmongering ambitions. Stated policies and claims calling for the destruction of power plants and civilian infrastructure constitute collective punishment and explicit war crimes under international law as well as U.S. domestic law (specifically 18 U.S.C. § 2441). Furthermore, threats to confiscate and seize the frozen assets of the Iranian nation set a dangerous precedent and amount to blatant international piracy. Officials who normalize the unlawful confiscation of other nations' assets must realize that creating such structural chaos destabilizes the international financial system and jeopardizes investment security for all countries. The defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran is based on the principle of "decisive and reciprocal response." Any aggression against Iran's territory, infrastructure, or interests will be met with a crushing response, and any party participating in or supporting such aggression in any way will be a legitimate target of Iran's response. Reaffirming its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the Islamic Republic of Iran declares that the aggressors and perpetrators of these crimes will be held fully accountable for all their unlawful actions and will pay a heavy price. In conclusion, the normalization of falsehoods or the appropriation of other nations' assets by U.S. officials cannot remedy the damages caused by the unlawful decisions of the American government. On the contrary, such conduct gravely undermines whatever is left of the credibility of the United States, further destroying its standing in the eyes of the international community.   The Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hong Kong & Macao