Dr. Abdi, Chair of the Commission on International Affairs and Head of the Strategic Studies Think Tank at the Center of Attorneys, Official Experts, and Family Counselors of the Judiciary, in a session on examining the military aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran from the perspective of international law, stated that any attack on nuclear facilities constitutes a gross violation of international law under international treaties, conventions, and customary international law. He further elaborated on the legal dimensions of such an attack.
Attack on Nuclear Facilities is a Gross Violation of International Law
Dr. Abdi Elaborates on the Legal Dimensions of Military Aggression Against Iran
Dr. Abdi, Chair of the Commission on International Affairs and Head of the Strategic Studies Think Tank at the Center of Attorneys, Official Experts, and Family Counselors of the Judiciary, speaking at a seminar hosted by Baqir al-Olum University, emphasized that any military attack on nuclear facilities constitutes a gross violation of international law. He explained that such aggression breaches the UN Charter, human rights instruments, international humanitarian law, Security Council resolutions, and international treaties on nuclear safety, as well as the statutes and resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
In his detailed presentation, Dr. Abdi outlined the following violations under international law:
1️⃣ Violation of the UN Charter
- Breach of international peace and security (Article 1.1)
- Violation of state sovereignty (Article 2.1)
- Breach of the peaceful settlement of disputes (Article 2.3)
- Violation of the prohibition on the use of force (Article 2.4)
2️⃣ Violation of Human Rights
- Threat to the right to life (Article 6, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
- Threat to the right to health (Article 12, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights)
- Violation of environmental rights (Stockholm Declaration 1972, Rio Declaration 1992, and other international instruments)
3️⃣ Violation of International Humanitarian Law
- Breach of the four Geneva Conventions of 1949
- Violation of the principles of distinction and necessity, recognized as customary international law
- Breach of Article 56, Additional Protocol I (1977) to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits attacks on nuclear facilities due to the grave risks of radioactive release and harm to civilians
4️⃣ Violation of UN Security Council Resolutions
- Breach of Resolution 487 (1981), which considers attacks on nuclear facilities an assault on the entire IAEA safeguards system and the NPT regime
- Breach of Resolution 2231 (2015) concerning Iran’s nuclear program, which prohibits attacks on nuclear facilities following the JCPOA agreement
5️⃣ Violation of Nuclear Safety Treaties and IAEA Statutes
- Breach of the Vienna Convention on Nuclear Safety (1994)
- Violation of the IAEA Statute and its core objectives
- Breach of General Conference Resolutions 444, 475, 533, and 604 prohibiting attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities
- Violation of the Safeguards Agreement, the NPT, and its Additional Protocol
