Desk Report,
How justified is Israel’s ‘self-defensive attack’ on Iran under international law?
Mourners attend the funeral of those killed in the Israeli attack. In the city of Ahvaz, Iran, 19 June 2025Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump is considering joining Israel militarily to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. He has taken two weeks to make a final decision on this matter. On the other hand, Israel, arguing in favor of attacking Iran, says that the country had reached the threshold of developing nuclear weapons. That is why they launched a preemptive attack on the country.
How justified is Israel’s ‘self-defensive attack’ on Iran under international law?
The UN Charter, known as the cornerstone of the post-World War II international system, does not authorize any kind of aggression by one country against another. The Charter authorizes the use of force only in self-defense. However, the countries concerned must try to resolve all kinds of conflicts peacefully. If that fails, the Security Council will decide on the legality of the use of force. If a country is attacked while the Security Council is discussing, that country has the ‘natural right of individual or collective self-defense’. This means that the attacked country can also launch a justifiable counterattack on the attacking country.
The main question now is how reasonable it is under international law for Israel to claim self-defense by attacking Iran in advance. If Israel can prove that Iran was close to developing nuclear weapons, that preemptive attack can be considered legal. This is now the focus of legal debate for Israel and its allies.
Mourners attend the funeral of those killed in the Israeli attack. In the city of Ahvaz, Iran, 19 June 2025Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump is considering joining Israel militarily to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. He has taken two weeks to make a final decision on this matter. On the other hand, Israel, arguing in favor of attacking Iran, says that the country had reached the threshold of developing nuclear weapons. That is why they launched a preemptive attack on the country.
