American writer: Israel’s attacks on Iran violate the UN charter

Vijay Prashad, an American-Indian author and journalist, addressed the campaign of violations against Iran by the Israeli regime and the United States in an article published by Triangle Free Press.

Prashad wrote: “The continuous Israeli attacks on Iran since 2023 have all been illegal and in violation of the United Nations Charter (1945). Iran is a UN member state and thus an independent country within the international order. If Israel has issues with Iran, there are numerous mechanisms under international law that allow Israel to file complaints against Iran.”

He added: “To date, Israel has avoided these international forums because it is clear there is no real case against Iran. Claims that Iran is building a nuclear weapon — allegations persistently made by the U.S., the EU, and Israel — have been thoroughly investigated and dismissed as baseless by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

Highlighting that Iran’s nuclear program operates within the legal framework of the IAEA, Prashad said: “Despite the IAEA’s findings, the West (provoked by Israel) has irrationally embraced the idea that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and therefore poses a threat to the international order. In reality, it is Israel that, through its attacks on Iran, threatens international order.”

Over past decades, Iran has consistently advocated for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East — an initiative put forward by a nation accused of seeking nuclear weapons. Yet the West has rejected this idea, primarily to protect the Israeli regime, which possesses an illegal nuclear weapons program. Israel remains the only nuclear-armed entity in the region, though it has never openly tested or acknowledged its arsenal. If the occupying regime were genuinely concerned with eliminating nuclear threats, it would have eagerly supported the nuclear-free zone proposal.

Neither the Europeans — who often present themselves as defenders of international law — nor the UN leadership has publicly pressured Israel to accept this proposal, as both acknowledge that such a move would require Israel to disarm, not Iran.

The improbability of this scenario means there has been no genuine effort by the West or international bodies to advance this idea or build global consensus around establishing a nuclear-free Middle East.

Prashad further asserted: “Israel does not want a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region. What Israel desires is to remain the sole nuclear power in the Middle East and thereby serve precisely the role it currently plays: America’s largest military base in the world. Iran, on the other hand, has no ambition to become a nuclear power. Its ambition is to remain an independent nation committed to justice for the Palestinians. Israel, however, takes issue with any country in the region committed to the liberation of Palestine.”

Referring to assassination campaigns carried out by the U.S. and Israel, Prashad stated: “In January 2020, the U.S. assassinated General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the IRGC Quds Force, at Baghdad Airport in Iraq. This assassination marked the beginning of a new, illegal, and determined political and military campaign by the U.S., Israel, and their European allies aimed at weakening Iran. Israel and the U.S. began targeting Iranian positions in order to undermine the country. Meanwhile, Israel initiated assassination operations against Iran.”