CONDEMN THE UNLAWFUL USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAN


CONDEMN THE UNLAWFUL USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAN
The Issue
CONDEMN THE UNLAWFUL USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAN ( Led by the US and Israeli forces, supported by many allies)
ELDH - The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights recently issued a statement on the ongoing attack by the US and Israeli forces on Iran. It argues that the strikes are a grave breach of international law and an attack on the UN Charter system.
The full statement can be accessed here.
You can endorse the statement issued by ELDH by signing this petition.
Here is a summary of its key arguments:
- The Absolute Prohibition of the Use of Force: The strikes violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which absolutely prohibits the use of force. The only legal exceptions are UN Security Council authorization or self-defence under Article 51, which requires an actual or strictly imminent "armed attack." The ELDH asserts this threshold was not met.
- Uranium Enrichment and the Illegality of “Preventive” Force: The justification based on Iran's uranium enrichment programme is rejected. The ELDH argues that disputes over nuclear compliance must be resolved through specific international treaties and IAEA mechanisms, not unilateral military force. It states that the doctrine of "preventive self-defence" against a potential future threat* has no basis in international law.
- A Dangerous Pattern in the Conduct of Aggressive Military States: The statement frames these strikes as part of a pattern by aggressive military states to use expansive interpretations of self-defence, undermining the multilateral collective security system established in 1945. It warns that allowing powerful states to unilaterally decide when to use force destroys the rule of law and creates systemic instability.
- A Call to the International Legal Community: The ELDH calls on the international legal community to reaffirm the binding nature of the UN Charter, reject the legality of preventive force, defend multilateral dispute resolution, and insist on accountability. It argues that silence in the face of such actions erodes foundational international norms.
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* National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent (who recently resigned) said that Iran posed "no imminent threat" to the US and claimed that the Trump administration "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".
( Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4g66r3z40o )

147
The Issue
CONDEMN THE UNLAWFUL USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAN ( Led by the US and Israeli forces, supported by many allies)
ELDH - The European Association of Lawyers for Democracy & World Human Rights recently issued a statement on the ongoing attack by the US and Israeli forces on Iran. It argues that the strikes are a grave breach of international law and an attack on the UN Charter system.
The full statement can be accessed here.
You can endorse the statement issued by ELDH by signing this petition.
Here is a summary of its key arguments:
- The Absolute Prohibition of the Use of Force: The strikes violate Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which absolutely prohibits the use of force. The only legal exceptions are UN Security Council authorization or self-defence under Article 51, which requires an actual or strictly imminent "armed attack." The ELDH asserts this threshold was not met.
- Uranium Enrichment and the Illegality of “Preventive” Force: The justification based on Iran's uranium enrichment programme is rejected. The ELDH argues that disputes over nuclear compliance must be resolved through specific international treaties and IAEA mechanisms, not unilateral military force. It states that the doctrine of "preventive self-defence" against a potential future threat* has no basis in international law.
- A Dangerous Pattern in the Conduct of Aggressive Military States: The statement frames these strikes as part of a pattern by aggressive military states to use expansive interpretations of self-defence, undermining the multilateral collective security system established in 1945. It warns that allowing powerful states to unilaterally decide when to use force destroys the rule of law and creates systemic instability.
- A Call to the International Legal Community: The ELDH calls on the international legal community to reaffirm the binding nature of the UN Charter, reject the legality of preventive force, defend multilateral dispute resolution, and insist on accountability. It argues that silence in the face of such actions erodes foundational international norms.
---#---
* National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent (who recently resigned) said that Iran posed "no imminent threat" to the US and claimed that the Trump administration "started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby".
( Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg4g66r3z40o )

147
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Petition created on 2 March 2026