TEHRAN – In a brazen act of aggression, the Israeli regime launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran on the early hours of Friday, targeting nuclear facilities, military bases, and civilian areas across the country. 

The attack, which killed top military commanders, nuclear scientists, and scores of civilians, including women and children, has been condemned by Iran as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty and international law. 

As Iran mounts a robust defense through its "Operation True Promise III," the E3—comprising the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—have faced scathing criticism from Tehran and the Global South for their complicity, hypocrisy, and failure to condemn Israel’s war crimes. 

Tel Aviv's crime against humanity 

Israel’s unprovoked assault struck over a dozen sites, including Tehran, Natanz, Khondab, and Khorramabad, targeting nuclear research centers, military installations, and residential neighborhoods. 

Among the martyrs were revered IRGC commander Hossein Salami, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, nuclear scientists Fereydoon Abbasi and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and tens of children, whose deaths have ignited fury across Iran. 

The strikes, which targeted peaceful nuclear facilities in violation of the Geneva Conventions, have been described by Tehran as a terrorist act orchestrated with the tacit approval of Western powers. 

In response, Iran exercised its inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, launching hundreds of missiles that breached Israel’s multi-layered air defense system in a powerful counterstrike dubbed Operation True Promise III. 

Leader of the Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei declared that Israel had made “a big mistake, the consequences of which will make it helpless,” vowing that Iran’s armed forces would deliver “heavy blows to the criminal regime.” 

Rather than condemning Israel’s violation of international law, the E3 have aligned themselves with Tel Aviv, exposing their double standards and imperialist leanings. 

Their responses, cloaked in calls for de-escalation, have been perceived in Tehran as a thinly veiled endorsement of Israel’s war crimes. 

In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognized Israel’s “right to self-defense” while announcing the deployment of additional fighter jets and refueling aircraft to the West Asia as “contingency support.” 

“We are moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support across the region,” Starmer said on Saturday, refusing to rule out direct military involvement in defending Israel against Iran’s retaliation. 

Tehran views this move as a continuation of Britain’s colonial legacy, which once carved up the West Asia for its own gain. 

French President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement that reeked of hypocrisy, condemned Iran’s “ongoing nuclear program” while reaffirming Israel’s “right to defend itself and secure its security.” 

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot echoed this sentiment, expressing “deep concern” over Iran’s nuclear activities but remaining silent on the civilian casualties caused by Israel’s bombs. 

Iran’s Foreign Ministry decried France’s stance as a shameful attempt to deflect attention from Tel Aviv’s aggression. 

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz admitted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally briefed him on the operation hours before the attack. 

“Israel has the right to defend its existence and the security of its citizens,” Merz declared, emphasizing Germany’s coordination with the UK, France, and the United States to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 

Iran has accused Germany of reviving its Nazi-era mindset by supporting a “genocidal regime” in Tel Aviv, noting that Iran sheltered Jews fleeing Hitler’s persecution during World War II. 

Calling out E3 hypocrisy

Iranian leaders have united in condemning the E3’s complicity, accusing them of enabling Israel’s aggression through diplomatic cover and provocative actions. 

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Saturday, declared that continuing indirect talks with the United States was “unjustifiable” given Washington’s—and by extension, the E3’s—support for Israel’s “savagery.” 

“The international community should show a decisive reaction in condemnation of Israel’s aggression,” Araghchi demanded, criticizing the E3 for their failure to hold Tel Aviv accountable. 

Araghchi also lambasted a recent IAEA Board of Governors resolution, drafted by the US, UK, France, and Germany, which accused Iran of nuclear non-compliance just days before the attack. 

“Based on international law, the attack on peaceful nuclear facilities is completely illegal and prohibited, and the international community is obligated to hold the Zionist regime accountable for this dangerous and unprecedented violation of the law,” he stated. 

The resolution, passed with 19 votes in favor and opposed by Russia, China, and Burkina Faso, is seen in Tehran as a deliberate pretext to justify Israel’s assault. 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei took to X to deliver a stinging rebuke of the E3’s moral failings. 

“History reminder: Germany ignited two world wars. Iran sheltered Jews fleeing Hitler – ask Polish/French refugees who got Iranian passports. Those perpetually on the wrong side of history best stay silent now,” he wrote on Sunday. 

In another post, Baghaei asserted that Macron is “spinning” Iran’s nuclear program while Israel “targets peaceful nuclear facilities, bombs homes, and kills Iranians in cold blood in blatant violation of international law,” concluding, “The hypocrisy is staggering.” 

President Masoud Pezeshkian, addressing the nation, called for unity among peace-loving countries to counter Israel’s aggression and the E3’s complicity. 

“The European powers claim to champion human rights, yet they stand with a regime that slaughters our children,” he said, urging the international community to demand accountability. 

Global voices against Western double standards 

Iran’s plight has resonated across the Global South, with nations and leaders rallying to its defense. 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned the Israeli attack as a “criminal assault on the people of Iran that violates international law and the United Nations Charter.” 

In a statement on Sunday, Maduro accused the E3 and the US of supporting “21st century Hitler” in reference to Netanyahu, declaring, “No to war, no to fascism, no to neo-Nazi Zionism.” Venezuela expressed full solidarity with Iran and other regional victims of Israeli aggression. 

Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a similar condemnation, holding Israel and its Western backers responsible for “an unjustified war against Iran.” 

The statement described the attacks as “flagrant violations of the United Nations Charter and international law,” urging the UN General Assembly and Security Council to act swiftly to halt the aggression. 

Prominent international figures have also spoken out. Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Zapata and former IAEA head, criticized Germany’s endorsement of Israel’s strikes, noting that such actions violate the Geneva Conventions and the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force except in self-defense or with Security Council approval. 

Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, remarked, “On the day Israel, unprovoked, has attacked Iran, the president of a major European power, finally admits that in the Middle East, Israel, and only Israel, has the right to defend itself.” 

E3’s imperial legacy and IAEA machinations 

The E3’s complicity is seen as an extension of their imperialist histories.

Britain’s criminal cooperation with the U.S. in the 1953 coup against Iran’s democratically elected government, France’s colonial exploitation of the West Asia, and Germany’s Nazi-era atrocities are frequently cited in Tehran as evidence of their untrustworthy nature. 

Many analysts consider the E3’s support for Israel as a continuation of their quest to dominate and destabilize our region. 

Furthermore, the E3-sponsered IAEA resolution, passed on Thursday, has been a particular point of contention. Iran views it as a calculated move by the E3 to paint Tehran as a nuclear threat, thereby providing Israel with a pretext for its heinous attack. The resolution’s timing, just days before the assault, and its sponsorship by the E3 and the US have fueled accusations of collusion. 

The human cost and Iran’s resolve 

In Iran, the attack has galvanized public sentiment. Mass demonstrations in Tehran and other cities saw citizens denouncing the E3’s complicity. “The West claims to value human lives, but they cheer as our children are murdered,” wrote and Iranian social media user. 

The E3’s complicity in Israel’s aggression has exposed the fragility of their so-called “rules-based order,” which Iran and its allies view as a tool to protect Western allies while punishing independent nations. 

By endorsing Israel’s attack and pushing provocative IAEA resolutions, the UK, France, and Germany have not only betrayed Iran but also endangered global peace. The potential fallout—regional war, energy shocks, and increased migration—looms large, yet Iran remains steadfast in its resolve to defend its sovereignty.