Donald Trump has shrugged off a question about whether he was worried about committing a war crime.
The president has threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran such as bridges and power plants.
He was asked if he was concerned the attacks would constitute war crimes.
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"I'm not worried about it," he replied.
"You know what's a war crime? Having a nuclear weapon.
"Allowing a sick country with demented leadership having a nuclear weapon."
It comes after 100 international law experts penned an open letter warning that the US actions in Iran violated international law.
But it raises the question: could the US president face trial over what has happened in Iran?
The answer is technically yes.
"He absolutely could," said University of Sydney law professor Emily Crawford.
"The question is whether or not he would ever actually face trial, and that's the thing that would probably never happen."
The usual avenue for war crime prosecutions is the International Criminal Court (ICC), but neither the US or Iran have signed on to the body.
The ICC, based in the Dutch city of The Hague, has previously sought to put other world leaders on trial.
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But Iran or another country could request an investigation into war crimes. The prosecutor of the court could also open an investigation off their own bat.
"That's how it's possible that, at least in theory, arrest warrants could be issued," Crawford said.
"Even though there's basically no probability of any of these personnel, up to and including Donald Trump ever appearing in The Hague."
Trump could join a list of other prominent individuals to have had arrest warrants issued for them by the ICC, but are not brought into custody.
That list currently includes Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.
But it is theoretically possible for Trump to face charges in the United States, according to ANU Professor of International Law Donald Rothwell.
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"The US does have mechanisms and processes under which US citizens could be charged with war crimes," he said.
"On the other hand, the President, of course, has immunity."
So a prosecutor in the US could press charges but it would likely be knocked back by a judge.
Even a particularly vindictive successor in the White House may not want to seek war crimes charges against Trump.
This is in large part because just about every US president has committed an act that could retrospectively be viewed as a war crime.
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