Note by H.E. Mr. Seyed Hossein Sadat Meidani,

Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania,

16 June 2025

On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a large-scale and unlawful armed attack against Iran. This act of aggression of Israel constitutes a clear violation of all rules and principles of international law, including the UN Charter, International Humanitarian Law, and International Human Rights Law. Israel is targeting residential neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure, public authorities, and nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Military officials of Iran and their families and neighbors were assassinated too.

The Israeli aggressor regime pretends in its propaganda that it carries out its attacks carefully and without attacking residential areas. This is a big lie. After 3 days of the Zionist regime’s aggression, almost 1,500 Iranians were killed and injured. Only, one particularly egregious incident involved an Israeli missile strike on a residential building in Tehran, resulting in the deaths of 60 civilians, including 35 children and women. Public infrastructures of different cities of Iran such as refineries, energy and water stores, airports, factories and etc. were also targeted by Israel. These are international crimes by Israel.

The primary justification offered by Israel for this aggression and manslaughter is Iran’s nuclear program. However, Iran’s nuclear facilities are subject to the most comprehensive and intrusive inspection regimes administered by the IAEA and are used exclusively for peaceful purposes. The Israeli regime’s targeting of these safeguarded civilian nuclear facilities constitutes a deliberate act of aggression and a flagrant violation of international law and the legal framework governing nuclear safety and security. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, reaffirmed during an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council in the afternoon of 13 June 2025 that any armed attack against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the UN Charter, the Statute of the IAEA, and fundamental principles of international law.

In this regard, the IAEA has recalled the numerous General Conference resolutions on the topic of military attacks against nuclear facilities, in particular, GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, which provide, inter alia, that “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency”.  The Israel attack against Iran Nuclear facilities is also breaching the UN Security Council resolution 487 which stipulates that Israel shall refrain from any attack against nuclear sites of other countries. This is a dangerous practice which needs a firm reaction from international community.

The Israeli regime has a long-standing and well-documented record of unlawful use of force against sovereign states. According to reports, only from October 2023 to June 2025, Israel has carried out more than 17,000 military attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iran and the Palestine. Its repeated targeting of civilian populations, critical infrastructure, and protected sites reflects a systematic contempt for the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. More than 55,000 Palestinians were killed by Israel since October 7, 2023 – most of them women and children. This latest aggression and crimes in Iran is not an isolated episode; it is part of a consistent policy of Israel that weaponized coercion and openly defies the international law.

The broader context of the Israeli regime’s conduct must be recognized. Israel’s black record in Palestine is proof of this regime’s bloodthirsty and criminal nature. Israel is currently subject to proceedings before the International Court of Justice for alleged acts of genocide in Gaza, and its senior leadership, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, faces credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the deliberate targeting of civilians, the use of starvation as a method of warfare, and the systematic imposition of collective punishment.

In response to this unlawful aggression, the Islamic Republic of Iran has lawfully exercised its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. This fundamental right permits a state to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity when subjected to an armed attack. Iran’s response was carefully calibrated to ensure that its actions were measured, necessary, and appropriate under the circumstances. Iran will continue its defense till the aggression of Israel would finish.

At a moment when the credibility of the international system is under intense scrutiny, the selective application of legal principles and reliance on political expediency threaten to displace the foundational values of consistency, accountability, and the rule of law. The world must be united to counteract the aggressor and uphold the principles of justice and international law.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, as a founding member of the United Nations, whose philosophy is to prevent aggression, breaches of peace, and threats to peace, emphasizes the duty of the Security Council of the United Nations to take immediate action to react to aggression and breach of international peace and security by Israel. In this respect, the duties of the UN Secretary-General in accordance with the UN Charter are also recalled. All members of the United Nations are expected to condemn this aggression and to avoid rendering any aid or assistance to Israeli aggressor. Aggression to other countries could not be justified by unfounded security reasons or whatsoever. The impunity of Israel should be ended.

About the author

H.E. Dr. Seyed Hossein Sadat Meidani

H.E. Dr. Seyed Hossein Sadat Meidani is the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Romania.