Published on: 2026-04-03
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News in Russian
Washington, April 3 /Xin Hua/ — More than 100 American experts on international law stated in a letter published on Thursday that military actions by the USA and Israel against Iran may violate international law and potentially qualify as “war crimes.”
The authors of the open letter, signed among others by former legal advisers to the US government and scholars from Harvard, Yale, and Stanford universities, called the US and Israeli military operation “a clear violation” of the UN Charter, pointing out the absence of any evidence that Iran posed an immediate threat that could justify acts of self-defense.
The letter notes that statements by senior U.S. officials “raise serious concerns about potential violations of international law in the area of human rights and international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.” In particular, the letter cites statements by U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. might strike Iran “just for fun,” and a comment by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth about ignoring the “stupid rules of engagement.”
Experts also drew attention to D. Trump’s threats to “destroy” Iran’s power plants and “do something after which the country literally will never be able to recover as a state.” They warned that “international law protects objects indispensable for the survival of the civilian population from attacks, and the attacks threatened by D. Trump, if carried out, may constitute war crimes.”
In addition, legal experts stated that they are “seriously concerned” about strikes on schools, medical facilities, and residential buildings, noting that from February 28 to March 23, American and Israeli forces struck 67,414 civilian infrastructure sites, including 498 schools and 236 medical institutions, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,443 Iranian civilians, including 217 children.
According to experts, the strike on an elementary school in Minabe on February 28, which resulted in more than 175 victims, mainly children, “likely violates international humanitarian law, and if it is established that those responsible acted recklessly, this can also be considered a war crime.” They added that this strike was one of the deadliest attacks carried out by American armed forces against civilians in the last decades.
The letter also warns that changes in the structure of the US Department of Defense, including the dismissal of senior officials dealing with legal issues, may lead to weakened oversight of military operations.
The drafters of the document demanded that the officials of the USA and Washington’s allies comply with the norms of international law, including the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions, and called on all parties to avoid actions that could cause further harm to the civilian population or lead to an escalation of the conflict. –0–
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