TEHRAN - The International Sociological Association (ISA) has issued a statement, strongly condemning military actions carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran.

In accordance with its Statutes and its commitment to the defense of human dignity, academic freedom, and the advancement of sociological knowledge, ISA strongly condemns the escalation of military actions carried out by the United States and Israel in the Middle East, particularly those affecting Iran and Lebanon, the statement reads.

“Ongoing military actions, including attacks on civilian populations and critical infrastructure—such as schools, hospitals, universities, historical monuments, and energy infrastructure—are causing severe human suffering and undermining the conditions necessary for social and academic life. 

As highlighted by sociological communities in the region, these events are directly affecting the capacity to teach, research, and sustain institutional life under conditions of extreme uncertainty and risk.

The ISA recalls that the use of force against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states violates fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. 

In this regard, United Nations human rights experts have characterized recent military actions carried out by the United States and Israel as violations of international law and acts of aggression, warning of the risks of impunity for powerful states and the devastating consequences for civilian populations.

These assessments underscore the urgency of reaffirming international legal principles and protecting human life in the face of escalating militarization. 

The normalization of such actions poses a grave threat not only to regional stability but to the basic conditions of human coexistence globally.

From a sociological perspective, these dynamics are embedded in long-standing global inequalities and asymmetries of power, as well as in geopolitical and economic interests that shape contemporary conflict. 

The persistence of militarized and interventionist strategies reflects deeper structural conditions that reproduce violence unevenly across regions, disproportionately affecting populations already exposed to multiple vulnerabilities. 

These dynamics are further entangled with Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights—as recognized by international humanitarian law (notably the Fourth Geneva Convention) and by multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions (including Resolutions 242 and 2334) —which has been identified as a contributing factor to recurring cycles of violence and instability.

In light of this situation, the ISA:

•    condemns the ongoing military actions carried out by the United States and Israel in the region;

•    calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and for measures to protect civilian populations;

•    urges all parties to comply with international law and humanitarian principles;

•    stresses the necessity of dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful conflict resolution as the only legitimate path forward.

The ISA further calls upon sociological associations worldwide to uphold and promote the values of peace, dialogue, and international cooperation, and to contribute, through research, teaching, and public engagement, to the defense of human life and the strengthening of democratic and peaceful societies.

The ISA also emphasizes the need for all countries to critically examine the structural conditions that enable such conflicts, including global inequalities, economic interests, and enduring forms of domination that shape contemporary warfare.

As a global community of sociologists, we reaffirm our commitment to the defense of life in all its dimensions—human, social, and ecological—and to the promotion of more just, peaceful, and sustainable societies.”

The statement was in response to a letter from the Iranian Sociological Association to ISA in March, calling for the condemnation of the US-Israeli aggression.

Below is the full text of the letter. 

We hereby bring to your attention that on February 26, 2026 (9 Esfand 1404), the armed forces of the United States and Israel, for the second time in less than nine months, illegally launched extensive military attacks against the territory of Iran. 

These assaults occurred amid ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States and have resulted in large-scale civilian casualties and severe destruction of the country’s infrastructure, medical and educational centers, and cultural and historical sites.

In accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, Iran has no way to engage in legitimate self-defense. The nature and scope of these attacks constitute clear and serious violations of fundamental principles of international law, the Geneva Conventions, and peremptory norms of international humanitarian law. 

The most evident breaches include: Violation of Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the UN Charter); Bombing of an elementary school in Minab, killing 168 children (contrary to the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child); Bombardment of medical and humanitarian facilities; Attacks on civilian areas, resulting thus far in the destruction of over 17,000 residential units and injury to thousands of non-combatants; Damage to UNESCO-listed cultural heritage sites; Destruction of vital infrastructures resulting in large-scale environmental harm.

These actions not only threaten the foundations of peaceful coexistence among nations but also erode freedom, equality, and human dignity — the essential pillars of modern societies.

Needless to say, amid this maelstrom, Iranian social sciences scholars alongside other academics are suffering as members of the broader society. 

From their very inceptions, Iranian Sociological Association and the Union of Iranian Social Science Associations have been addressing and analyzing societal challenges, including those pertaining to democratic governance and public welfare, through the tools available to them within a public sphere already riddled with risks and constraints. As such, we have always contributed to critical and constructive interventions.

Yet, the war further diminishes our capacity to remain a critical, constructive and socially relevant influence, particularly because of the serious interruption in the academic activities.

From a sociological perspective, indifference toward actions that undermine the very possibility of human and social life is unacceptable. 

Therefore, Iranian Sociological Association together with the Union of Iranian Social Sciences Associations call upon the International Sociological Association to:
1. Issue an official statement condemning the war imposed by the United States and Israel;

2. Encourage sociologists — particularly those in the involved countries — to analyze the social and ethical consequences of these acts and to advocate for their cessation;

3. Support the establishment of an impartial international fact-finding commission to investigate the killing of civilians, especially children;

4. Emphasize the necessity of protecting cultural heritage and preventing further destruction of historical monuments;

5. Endorse international efforts to achieve a ceasefire, prevent the recurrence of aggression, and ensure compensation by the aggressors.

We are confident that sociologists around the world, guided by their scientific conscience and ethical responsibility, will not remain silent in the face of such a grave threat to the human and social foundations of life.