The crimes of Israel and the United States in violating international law and the need for global accountability
Today I am providing my English translation of an article by Alireza Niknam, originally in Italian and published on ComeDonChisciotte.org on Wednesday 25th June 2025.
(All formatting original).
Human rights crisis and systematic violations of international law
In recent months, the world has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of military violence against civilians and vital infrastructure in the region. The Zionist regime, through direct attacks on hospitals, schools and residential areas in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, has committed clear war crimes in flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions and international law. Meanwhile, in recent days, the United States has attacked Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities, violating its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and endangering global security. Furthermore, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) terrorist group, operating from Albanian territory, continues to plan and carry out sabotage operations in Iran. These actions collectively underscore the urgent need for global accountability.
Israel's war crimes against Iranian civilians
1. Deliberate attacks on medical and civilian facilities
According to documented reports, Israeli forces have targeted hospitals in their recent assaults. One example is the attack on Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah, which resulted in the death and injury of dozens of patients, doctors and nurses. These actions constitute a flagrant violation of Article 18 of the 1949 Geneva Convention and the First Additional Protocol (1977) and are classified as war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
2. Assassination of scientists and intellectuals
Over the past decade, the Israeli regime has systematically pursued the physical elimination of Iranian intellectuals through assassinations, including those of martyrs Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Ali Mohammadi and Fereydoon Abbasi. These extrajudicial executions, carried out without trial or legal framework, violate international humanitarian law and United Nations Security Council resolutions prohibiting cross-border assassinations.
3. The silence of international organisations: the role of the United States in supporting Israeli crimes
Despite Iran's repeated condemnations of Israel at the United Nations General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, bodies such as the United Nations Security Council have failed to take effective action due to repeated vetoes by the United States. This highlights the double standard of the international legal system, in which laws are selectively enforced depending on political interests. This double standard has turned international law into a tool wielded by Western powers when convenient, while being ignored when their violations are under scrutiny.
US violation of the NPT and attack on Iranian nuclear facilities
On 21st June 2025, US forces attacked Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan. This act not only violated Articles I and II of the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty], but also constituted armed aggression under Article 2, paragraph 4, of the United Nations Charter. Iran has consistently emphasised the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, which has been subject to supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
This military aggression risks escalating into a full-scale regional war and poses a serious threat to global stability. From the perspective of international law, Iran has the right to self-defence under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter and may bring the United States before the International Court of Justice.
The US attack constitutes multiple violations of international law:
1. Violation of the NPT (1968):
Article IV of the treaty explicitly recognises the right of all member states to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. As a signatory to the NPT, Iran has always maintained that its activities are peaceful and subject to IAEA monitoring.
Article I prohibits nuclear-weapon states from attacking non-military nuclear facilities. The United States, as the leading nuclear power, has violated this obligation.
2. Violation of the United Nations Charter:
Article 2, paragraph 4, prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. The US attack was not authorised by the UN Security Council.
The US claim of “pre-emptive self-defence” under Article 51 is legally invalid, as there was no imminent threat from Iran.
3. Security consequences:
This attack could trigger a dangerous cycle of escalation, which could lead to Iran's withdrawal from the NPT, an arms race in the region, and the collapse of the global non-proliferation regime.
4. International responsibility of the United States:
Under customary international law (Article 31 of the Articles on Responsibility of States), the United States is required to compensate for the damage caused. The International Court of Justice could condemn this act, as it did in the case of Nicaragua v. United States (1986).
The role of the MEK terrorist group and the Albanian government
1. MEK sabotage operations from Albanian territory
The MEK, which enjoys the support of the Albanian government, has recently engaged in the construction of suicide drones and setting fires on public roads to spread fear and chaos. Iranian security forces have arrested members of the group involved in planned sabotage operations, and during interrogations, they admitted to following orders from the Israeli regime through the MEK leadership in Albania.
2. Albania's responsibility for supporting terrorism
According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, all countries are required to combat terrorism. If Albania continues to support the MEK, Iran reserves the right to take preventive defensive action in accordance with international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly warned Albania to restrict and stop the MEK's operations, but Albania has not taken these warnings seriously and has not monitored the group's activities over the past two years.
Since the beginning of Israel's war campaign, Iran has repeatedly stated that it will respond with force against any country or group that cooperates with Israel or takes hostile action against Iran. Albania should be aware that if the MEK's terrorist operations continue, it is highly likely to become a legitimate target of Iranian retaliation.
The urgency of a global response
Given the serious violations of international law by Israel and the United States, and to prevent the collapse of the NPT and the international legal order, the UN Security Council must hold an emergency session to impose economic sanctions and an arms embargo on both Israel and the United States. The International Criminal Court should immediately open an investigation into their war crimes.
Similarly, states that support terrorism, such as Albania, must cease all support for the MEK, or face swift and decisive Iranian retaliation. If the international community remains silent in the face of these crimes, it could spell the end of the current world order and international law itself. In such a scenario, Iran reserves the right to resort to all necessary defensive options, including proportionate military responses.
The collapse of international law would return the world to a situation similar to that of 200 years ago, when countries expanded their territories and engaged in conquest and mass killings without any legal constraints.
The time to act is now
The world cannot remain silent in the face of massacres of civilians and serious violations of international law. The United Nations, the International Criminal Court and human rights organisations must fulfil their responsibilities and reject double standards. Iran, exercising its legal right to self-defence, will use all legal and defensive means to address these aggressions, and any further hostile action by its enemies will be met with a severe and calculated response.
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fantastic article.