We condemn Israel’s strike on Iran
We strongly condemn Israel's pre-emptive strikes on Iran as a gross violation of the UN Charter and international law. Reportedly, Israel's strikes targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories, military commanders, and nuclear scientists. So far, 78 people have been killed—including top scientists and generals—and 329 others injured in the attacks. In retaliation, Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, reportedly killing at least three people. Alarmingly, Israel's airstrikes came at a time when the sixth round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran was scheduled to take place on June 15 in Oman. Judging from the timing of the attacks, it appears that Israel does not support negotiations or a peaceful resolution of Iran's nuclear issues, and that the strikes were intended to sabotage the US-Iran talks. Reportedly, Iran has already suspended the talks, which suggests that Israel was at least partially successful—an outcome that is deeply concerning.
Israel has a long history of violating international laws. Its aggression against Palestine has persisted for decades. The world has been watching in horror as it commits genocide against the Palestinian people, with full diplomatic and logistical support from powerful Western countries, particularly the US. This time as well, US President Donald Trump voiced his support for the Israeli attacks on Iran, describing the strikes as "excellent" and "very successful." The US president told Reuters that he was aware of Israel's strikes on Iran. Meanwhile, Israel justified the strikes as a pre-emptive measure to stop Iran from nearing nuclear weapons capability. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu even stated to the media that the strikes marked the beginning of a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from developing an atomic weapon. Iran, however, has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes. Evaluations from the US, UN and independent experts have also concluded that Tehran was not actively pursuing a nuclear bomb.
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Clearly, it is due to the backing of the US and other Western powers that Israel can commit such acts of aggression—and even genocide—with impunity. Such backing itself is a violation of international law. We therefore urge the US to end its blind and unconditional support for Israel. Here, the UN must also play a major role. It must take steps to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict and work towards bringing all sides to the negotiating table. It must ensure that tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear programme are resolved through diplomacy, not through "war." We also call on world leaders to urgently intervene in this crisis before any more violence occurs, so that no further lives are lost.
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