Israel’s Aggression, the IAEA’s Complicity, and the Collapse of International Law

Israel has once again trampled international law by launching an unprovoked act of aggression against the sovereign state of Iran. Both the United States and Israel have attempted to justify this blatant violation by portraying Iran’s peaceful nuclear program as a threat, arguing—without credible evidence—that Tehran is close to developing nuclear weapons. However, even in March, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard openly stated in her annual report that there is no proof that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and that the U.S. intelligence community is confident—based on credible information—that Iran is not building a bomb.

Following the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and six world powers, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued over a dozen reports confirming that Iran was in full compliance and was not pursuing nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, in 2018, under Israeli pressure, then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement, in clear violation of the spirit of multilateral diplomacy.

Israel’s attack on Iran constitutes a direct breach of Article 2, Clause 4 of the UN Charter, which states: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state…” Even if the U.S. and Israeli allegations were assumed true, only the UN Security Council (UNSC) holds the legal authority to sanction the use of force. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, a resolution authorizing such force requires the support of at least 9 out of 15 UNSC members, with no veto from any of the five permanent members.

Knowing that Russia and China—due to their close diplomatic ties with Iran—would veto any such resolution, and that support from non-permanent members was uncertain, the U.S. and Israel deliberately avoided the UNSC route. Instead, they opted to exploit the IAEA platform against Iran. While the IAEA maintains a cooperative agreement with the UN, it is an independent international agency, not a direct UN subordinate. Its mandate is strictly to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, not to serve as a launching pad for military action. Any attempt to use its resolutions as a basis for war is not only unjustified but legally void.

Still, lacking a credible pretext for military action, the U.S. and Israel orchestrated a meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, which passed a resolution on June 12, one day before Israel’s blatant aggression, accusing Iran of failing to meet its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The resolution criticized Iran for restricting access to certain nuclear sites in the past. However, even this resolution stopped short of accusing Iran of weaponizing its program. Iran categorically rejected the resolution, labeling it politically motivated, and accused IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi—an Argentine national—of bias and of being manipulated by the U.S., Israel, the UK, France, and Germany.

In the wake of this resolution, Israel launched its aggression with tacit U.S. support. Iran is now responding forcefully. Ironically, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, perhaps seeking to cleanse his conscience, has now contradicted the narrative that his agency helped create. Speaking to CNN and Al Jazeera, Grossi admitted that there is no evidence Iran was actively pursuing nuclear weapons, nor was it close to developing the capability to do so. He stated that Iran was years away from being able to build a bomb—completely at odds with the U.S.-Israeli claim that Iran was mere weeks away. This admission appears to be Grossi’s attempt to wash away the political stain of having allowed the IAEA to be used as a tool for aggression.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sharply criticized Grossi’s belated honesty, stating that it comes “too late.” He accused Grossi of enabling the U.S. and European powers to draft a baseless resolution that ultimately served as Israel’s excuse to launch a war—resulting in the deaths and injuries of innocent Iranians and attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear infrastructure. He argued that Grossi had betrayed the IAEA’s neutrality and turned it into a political weapon used to strip NPT member states of their rights, demanding accountability for this complicity.

Grossi’s recent admissions confirm that the U.S., Israel, and their Western allies have once again violated international law—as they did with Iraq—by committing an illegal act of war against Iran. And yet, who will hold them accountable when the very institution tasked with maintaining peace, the United Nations, has become little more than a pawn in their hands?

It is time for the 57 Islamic countries to open their eyes and recognize that the United Nations has become ineffective. The world is sliding back into a pre–World War II era where there is no functioning global legal order, and brute force dictates justice. Israel, gripped by war-mongering hysteria, continues its aggression—from Gaza and Lebanon to any Islamic nation within its reach, regardless of their military might or technological advancement. In such a world, can Muslim countries afford to rely only on declarations and condemnations? That is the urgent question every Muslim leader must now confront.

Syed Kashif Ali is an Islamabad-based journalist specializing in foreign affairs. He has worked as an editor for foreign affairs at mainstream news channels. He tweets at @kashifaliraza and can be reached at [email protected]