diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-ecr/lib/repository.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-ecr/lib/repository.ts
index 9424ab9aae637..67cae2b2c1c39 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-ecr/lib/repository.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-ecr/lib/repository.ts
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ export abstract class RepositoryBase extends Resource implements IRepository {
     }
     const repoAndPrincipalAccountCompare = Token.compareStrings(this.env.account, principalAccount);
     if (repoAndPrincipalAccountCompare === TokenComparison.BOTH_UNRESOLVED ||
-        repoAndPrincipalAccountCompare === TokenComparison.SAME) {
+      repoAndPrincipalAccountCompare === TokenComparison.SAME) {
       return undefined;
     }
 
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ export class Repository extends RepositoryBase {
       throw new UnscopedValidationError('Could not determine repository identifier from provided options.');
     }
 
-    const response: {[key: string]: any}[] = ContextProvider.getValue(scope, {
+    const response: { [key: string]: any }[] = ContextProvider.getValue(scope, {
       provider: cxschema.ContextProvider.CC_API_PROVIDER,
       props: {
         typeName: 'AWS::ECR::Repository',
@@ -840,7 +840,9 @@ export class Repository extends RepositoryBase {
       this.enableAutoDeleteImages();
     }
 
-    this.node.addValidation({ validate: () => this.policyDocument?.validateForResourcePolicy() ?? [] });
+    this.node.addValidation({
+      validate: () => this.policyDocument?.validateForResourcePolicy({ skipResourceValidation: true }) ?? [],
+    });
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/README.md b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/README.md
index 1aee02ab60425..b80816c9edc2a 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/README.md
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/README.md
@@ -960,4 +960,4 @@ const instanceProfile = iam.InstanceProfile.fromInstanceProfileAttributes(this,
 * Policy names are not required - the CDK logical ID will be used and ensured to be unique.
 * Policies are validated during synthesis to ensure that they have actions, and that policies
   attached to IAM principals specify relevant resources, while policies attached to resources
-  specify which IAM principals they apply to.
+  specify both which IAM principals they apply to and which resources they govern.
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-document.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-document.ts
index 663a0e083b462..f87adb551d4dd 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-document.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-document.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { IConstruct } from 'constructs';
-import { PolicyStatement, deriveEstimateSizeOptions } from './policy-statement';
+import { PolicyStatement, deriveEstimateSizeOptions, ResourcePolicyValidationOptions } from './policy-statement';
 import { mergeStatements } from './private/merge-statements';
 import { PostProcessPolicyDocument } from './private/postprocess-policy-document';
 import * as cdk from '../../core';
@@ -156,12 +156,31 @@ export class PolicyDocument implements cdk.IResolvable {
    *
    * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/access_policies.html#access_policies-json
    *
+   * @param options Optional validation options
    * @returns An array of validation error messages, or an empty array if the document is valid.
    */
-  public validateForResourcePolicy(): string[] {
+  public validateForResourcePolicy(options?: ResourcePolicyValidationOptions): string[] {
     const errors = new Array<string>();
     for (const statement of this.statements) {
-      errors.push(...statement.validateForResourcePolicy());
+      errors.push(...statement.validateForResourcePolicy(options));
+    }
+    return errors;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Validate that all policy statements in the policy document satisfies the
+   * requirements for a trust policy (assume role policy).
+   *
+   * Trust policies are a special type of resource-based policy where the resource is implicit (the role itself).
+   *
+   * @see https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/reference_policies_elements_principal.html
+   *
+   * @returns An array of validation error messages, or an empty array if the document is valid.
+   */
+  public validateForTrustPolicy(): string[] {
+    const errors = new Array<string>();
+    for (const statement of this.statements) {
+      errors.push(...statement.validateForTrustPolicy());
     }
     return errors;
   }
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-statement.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-statement.ts
index 5ee99ed959097..af7fb32c24bb0 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-statement.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/policy-statement.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ import { LITERAL_STRING_KEY, mergePrincipal, sum } from './private/util';
 import * as cdk from '../../core';
 import { UnscopedValidationError } from '../../core';
 
+/**
+ * Options for resource-based policy validation
+ */
+export interface ResourcePolicyValidationOptions {
+  /**
+   * Whether to skip resource validation for policies where resources are implicit
+   * (e.g., ECR repository policies where the resource is the repository itself)
+   *
+   * @default false
+   */
+  readonly skipResourceValidation?: boolean;
+}
+
 const ensureArrayOrUndefined = (field: any) => {
   if (field === undefined) {
     return undefined;
@@ -80,7 +93,7 @@ export class PolicyStatement {
   private readonly _notPrincipal: { [key: string]: any[] } = {};
   private readonly _resource = new OrderedSet<string>();
   private readonly _notResource = new OrderedSet<string>();
-  private readonly _condition: { [key: string]: any } = { };
+  private readonly _condition: { [key: string]: any } = {};
   private _sid?: string;
   private _effect: Effect;
   private principalConditionsJson?: string;
@@ -540,13 +553,34 @@ export class PolicyStatement {
   /**
    * Validate that the policy statement satisfies all requirements for a resource-based policy.
    *
+   * @param options Optional validation options
    * @returns An array of validation error messages, or an empty array if the statement is valid.
    */
-  public validateForResourcePolicy(): string[] {
+  public validateForResourcePolicy(options?: ResourcePolicyValidationOptions): string[] {
     const errors = this.validateForAnyPolicy();
     if (this._principals.length === 0 && this._notPrincipals.length === 0) {
       errors.push('A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal.');
     }
+    // Only validate resources if not explicitly skipped (for services like ECR where resources are implicit)
+    if (!options?.skipResourceValidation && this._resource.length === 0 && this._notResource.length === 0) {
+      errors.push('A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource.');
+    }
+    return errors;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Validate that the policy statement satisfies all requirements for a trust policy (assume role policy).
+   *
+   * Trust policies are a special type of resource-based policy where the resource is implicit (the role itself).
+   *
+   * @returns An array of validation error messages, or an empty array if the statement is valid.
+   */
+  public validateForTrustPolicy(): string[] {
+    const errors = this.validateForAnyPolicy();
+    if (this._principals.length === 0 && this._notPrincipals.length === 0) {
+      errors.push('A PolicyStatement used in a trust policy must specify at least one IAM principal.');
+    }
+    // Note: Trust policies do not require resources because the resource is implicit (the role itself)
     return errors;
   }
 
@@ -789,7 +823,7 @@ export interface PolicyStatementProps {
    *
    * @default - no condition
    */
-  readonly conditions?: {[key: string]: any};
+  readonly conditions?: { [key: string]: any };
 
   /**
    * Whether to allow or deny the actions in this statement
@@ -802,15 +836,15 @@ export interface PolicyStatementProps {
 class JsonPrincipal extends PrincipalBase {
   public readonly policyFragment: PrincipalPolicyFragment;
 
-  constructor(json: any = { }) {
+  constructor(json: any = {}) {
     super();
 
     // special case: if principal is a string, turn it into a "LiteralString" principal,
     // so we render the exact same string back out.
-    if (typeof(json) === 'string') {
+    if (typeof (json) === 'string') {
       json = { [LITERAL_STRING_KEY]: [json] };
     }
-    if (typeof(json) !== 'object') {
+    if (typeof (json) !== 'object') {
       throw new UnscopedValidationError(`JSON IAM principal should be an object, got ${JSON.stringify(json)}`);
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/role.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
index a036dd24900dc..85e5b4da2f887 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/lib/role.ts
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ export class Role extends Resource implements IRole {
 
   private validateRole(): string[] {
     const errors = new Array<string>();
-    errors.push(...this.assumeRolePolicy?.validateForResourcePolicy() ?? []);
+    errors.push(...this.assumeRolePolicy?.validateForTrustPolicy() ?? []);
     for (const policy of Object.values(this.inlinePolicies)) {
       errors.push(...policy.validateForIdentityPolicy());
     }
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/policy-document.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/policy-document.test.ts
index 42665ab260876..97adf5457ea61 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/policy-document.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/policy-document.test.ts
@@ -21,23 +21,23 @@ describe('IAM policy document', () => {
 
     expect(stack.resolve(p.toStatementJson())).toEqual({
       Action:
-      ['sqs:SendMessage',
-        'dynamodb:CreateTable',
-        'dynamodb:DeleteTable'],
+        ['sqs:SendMessage',
+          'dynamodb:CreateTable',
+          'dynamodb:DeleteTable'],
       Resource: ['myQueue', 'yourQueue', '*'],
       Effect: 'Allow',
       Principal:
       {
         AWS:
-         {
-           'Fn::Join':
-          ['',
-            ['arn:',
-              { Ref: 'AWS::Partition' },
-              ':iam::my',
-              { account: 'account' },
-              'name:root']],
-         },
+        {
+          'Fn::Join':
+            ['',
+              ['arn:',
+                { Ref: 'AWS::Partition' },
+                ':iam::my',
+                { account: 'account' },
+                'name:root']],
+        },
       },
       Condition: { StringEquals: { 'sts:ExternalId': '12221121221' } },
     });
@@ -852,7 +852,10 @@ describe('IAM policy document', () => {
     // THEN
     const validationErrorsForResourcePolicy: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
     // const validationErrorsForIdentityPolicy: string[] = policyStatement.validateForIdentityPolicy();
-    expect(validationErrorsForResourcePolicy).toEqual(['A PolicyStatement must specify at least one \'action\' or \'notAction\'.']);
+    expect(validationErrorsForResourcePolicy).toEqual([
+      'A PolicyStatement must specify at least one \'action\' or \'notAction\'.',
+      'A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource.',
+    ]);
   });
 
   test('validation error if policy statement for resource-based policy has no principals specified', () => {
@@ -862,6 +865,105 @@ describe('IAM policy document', () => {
 
     // THEN
     const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([
+      'A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal.',
+      'A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource.',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation error if policy statement for resource-based policy has no resources specified', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['s3:GetObject'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      // Missing: resources
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual(['A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource.']);
+  });
+
+  test('validation passes when both principals and resources are specified', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['s3:GetObject'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      resources: ['arn:aws:s3:::my-bucket/*'],
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation passes with NotResource instead of Resource', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['s3:GetObject'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      notResources: ['arn:aws:s3:::excluded-bucket/*'],
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation error if policy statement for resource-based policy has neither principals nor resources', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['s3:GetObject'],
+      // Missing: both principals and resources
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([
+      'A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal.',
+      'A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource.',
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation error if policy statement for trust policy has no principals specified', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['sts:AssumeRole'],
+      // Missing: principals (resources not needed for trust policies)
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForTrustPolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual(['A PolicyStatement used in a trust policy must specify at least one IAM principal.']);
+  });
+
+  test('validation passes for trust policy with principals but no resources', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['sts:AssumeRole'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      // No resources needed for trust policies
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForTrustPolicy();
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation passes for resource-based policy with skipResourceValidation option', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['ecr:GetDownloadUrlForLayer'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      // Missing: resources (but validation is skipped)
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy({ skipResourceValidation: true });
+    expect(validationErrors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('validation still requires principals even with skipResourceValidation', () => {
+    const policyStatement = new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['ecr:GetDownloadUrlForLayer'],
+      // Missing: both principals and resources
+    });
+
+    // THEN
+    const validationErrors: string[] = policyStatement.validateForResourcePolicy({ skipResourceValidation: true });
     expect(validationErrors).toEqual(['A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal.']);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/role.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/role.test.ts
index 5069ad77312d4..7ee5d453e792a 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/role.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-iam/test/role.test.ts
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ describe('IAM role', () => {
     });
     role.assumeRolePolicy?.addStatements(new PolicyStatement({ actions: ['*'] }));
 
-    expect(() => app.synth()).toThrow(/A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal/);
+    expect(() => app.synth()).toThrow(/A PolicyStatement used in a trust policy must specify at least one IAM principal/);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3/test/bucket-policy.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3/test/bucket-policy.test.ts
index 94a26e24e8995..2b97ce53fb1ac 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3/test/bucket-policy.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-s3/test/bucket-policy.test.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,19 @@ describe('bucket policy', () => {
     expect(() => app.synth()).toThrow(/A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one IAM principal/);
   });
 
+  test('fails if bucket policy has no resources', () => {
+    const app = new App();
+    const stack = new Stack(app, 'my-stack');
+    const myBucket = new s3.Bucket(stack, 'MyBucket');
+    myBucket.addToResourcePolicy(new PolicyStatement({
+      actions: ['s3:GetObject*'],
+      principals: [new AnyPrincipal()],
+      // Missing: resources
+    }));
+
+    expect(() => app.synth()).toThrow(/A PolicyStatement used in a resource-based policy must specify at least one resource/);
+  });
+
   describe('fromCfnBucketPolicy()', () => {
     const stack = new Stack();
 
diff --git a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-sns/test/sns.test.ts b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-sns/test/sns.test.ts
index 901a21c3bd6ba..270d9ad4f9f8a 100644
--- a/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-sns/test/sns.test.ts
+++ b/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-sns/test/sns.test.ts
@@ -486,10 +486,12 @@ describe('Topic', () => {
     topic.addToResourcePolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
       actions: ['service:statement0'],
       principals: [new iam.ArnPrincipal('arn')],
+      resources: ['*'],
     }));
     topic.addToResourcePolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
       actions: ['service:statement1'],
       principals: [new iam.ArnPrincipal('arn')],
+      resources: ['*'],
     }));
 
     Template.fromStack(stack).hasResourceProperties('AWS::SNS::TopicPolicy', {