More than 100 international law experts have signed an open letter expressing "profound concern" about serious violations of international law by the United States, Israel, and Iran in the Middle East war. The experts assert that the US-Israeli decision to attack Iran constitutes a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force outside self-defence or without UN Security Council authorisation.

The letter points to "alarming rhetoric" from officials, including US President Donald Trump's threats to "obliterate" Iran's power plants. In response, the White House claimed Trump is making the entire region safer and dismissed the signatories as "so-called experts." The experts also criticized Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's statement that "no quarter" should be given to enemies, a denial of mercy even to those who surrender or are wounded, which is strictly forbidden under international law and the US Department of Defense's own manual.

Signatories warn that these actions and threats are causing serious harm to civilians and risk degrading fundamental legal norms that protect all nations' populations. The White House accused the Iranian government of "maiming and killing Americans, acting as the primary state sponsor of terror, and brutally murdering its own people" over the past 47 years, insisting that Trump is "making the entire region safer and more stable by eliminating Iran's short- and long-term threats."

Tom Fletcher, the UN's humanitarian chief, told BBC Radio 4 that international law has been "thrown aside" somewhere in the conflict, describing the war as "reckless" and highlighting enforcement issues. The experts' letter further details the attack on a primary school in the Iranian town of Minab on the war's first day, reportedly killing at least 168 people, including 110 children. The US Department of Defense is investigating the incident, with growing evidence suggesting it was likely a US strike, possibly due to outdated intelligence.

According to the letter, the strike "likely violates international humanitarian law, and if evidence is found that those responsible were reckless, it could also be a war crime." Published in the online journal "Just Security" based at New York University School of Law, the letter underscores mounting legal challenges in a conflict that has reportedly claimed thousands of lives, with experts calling for a reaffirmation of international norms to protect civilians and uphold the rule of law.

Source: www.bbc.com