The Geneva Conventions are four treaties and three additional protocols signed between 1864 and 1977 that establish international standards for humanitarian treatment in armed conflict. The Third Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949, specifically covers prisoners of war and requires captor nations to treat captured soldiers humanely, allow them access to the Red Cross, and not use them as leverage in negotiations. The United States and Iran are both signatories to the Third Geneva Convention. When a U.S. F-15E weapons systems officer went missing over Iran on April 3, 2026, advocates and legal scholars noted that if the crew member was captured, Iran would be bound by the Third Convention's protections — and the U.S. would be obligated to seek repatriation through established channels rather than military rescue.