TEHRAN - The International Bar Association, its Human Rights Institute, and United Nations experts have flagged breaches of international law in the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.

The IBA and IBAHRI have called for aggressors to immediately cease illegal uses of force and to comply with the UN Charter and international humanitarian and human rights law. 

Meanwhile, UN experts have echoed the need for independent investigations, particularly into attacks like the one on a girls’ school in Iran that killed 180 girls; the ones on oil refineries that resulted in acid rain; and those on a desalination plant.

“Any loss of life in an illegal war is a violation of the right to life,” the experts said in a joint statement.

The IBA and IBAHRI noted that the attacks, which began on February 28, resulting in civilian harm disproportionate to the expected military advantage could be regarded as war crimes.

“International law allows self-defense only in response to an armed attack. Any anticipatory use of force must meet a strict test of imminence – a threat that is ‘instant, overwhelming and leaving no choice of means and no moment for deliberation’ – a standard derived from the Caroline incident of 1837,” the organizations said in a statement. 

“Military action taken to neutralize speculative or longer-term threats – often described as pre-emptive force – has no widely accepted basis in international law.”

UN experts added that Israel and the U.S. should not consider themselves “as above international legality.” 

Pursuant to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols, medical units, hospitals, rehabilitation institutions, and humanitarian facilities enjoy special protection. 

Parties to a conflict are under a binding obligation to respect the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.

These principles, recognized as customary and peremptory norms of international humanitarian law, prohibit attacks against civilian objects and any conduct resulting in civilian casualties. 

Violations of these obligations may amount to grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

Four Geneva Conventions was later strengthened by Additional Protocol I of 1977, which requires the absolute distinction between civilians and combatants.

But, as ever, civilians, particularly women, children, and displaced people are suffering the brunt of war. 

Over the past few years, the United States and Israel have clearly violated international humanitarian law, moral and humane principles with unjustified excuses, avoiding to accept the responsibility for their unwise actions. 

Surprisingly, the so called advanced countries have intentionally shut their eyes to the imposed war, and terrorist crimes. 

The U.S. and Israel have boasted about their military precision and superiority. If this superiority has led to bombing schools, hospitals, and residential areas, it is not a sign of power, but a moral collapse which sounds death knell for the international humanitarian law.

International organizations are required to not only denounce and reprimand these criminals, but to make it clear what is the point of the international humanitarian law and why it is still essential to insist on respecting the law.