Iran's Human Rights Headquarters: US attack on Lark Island a flagrant violation of international law
Tehran - BORNA - In a statement, the Human Rights Headquarters said the attack — which killed and wounded a group of Iranian citizens and caused damage to public and private property — constitutes an act of aggression and a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, as well as a clear assault on Iran's national sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.
The full text of the statement is as follows:
The US military's attack on parts of Lark Island on the night of Sunday, Aug. 30, which killed and wounded a group of the homeland's valiant defenders and citizens and caused damage to public and private property, constitutes a blatant act of aggression and a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the UN Charter, as well as a clear assault on the national sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This unlawful act, part of a continuing series of US military actions against Iran's territory and people, once again demonstrates that the US government, in pursuit of its political and military objectives, openly disregards peremptory norms and established principles of international law and shows no respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states. Iran's Human Rights Headquarters strongly condemns this aggression, considers it an act carrying international responsibility, and stresses the need to hold those responsible accountable and for full compensation for its effects and damages.
The UN Charter is founded on the principle of sovereign equality among states and the prohibition on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states. A state's resort to military force against another state's territory lacks any legal legitimacy except in exceptional cases under precisely defined conditions of international law. No state or power, regardless of its political, economic or military standing, is exempt from these rules, and none can grant itself authorization to violate another country's sovereignty by invoking unilateral security claims or political considerations.
The attack on Iranian territory, absent any valid legal basis, is a clear example of a violation of the prohibition on the use of force and an assault on the territorial sovereignty of an independent state. Political and security claims, whatever form they take, cannot substitute for a valid legal basis for the use of force. Accepting such an approach would mean accepting the dangerous logic that so-called powerful states can set aside international rules whenever they perceive their interests to be threatened, and rely on military power to violate the sovereignty of other states — a logic that, if normalized, would undermine the foundations of the rules-based international order.
In this context, it is necessary to distinguish between the legality of resorting to force and the rules governing how military operations are conducted. Even an alleged military objective in the targeted area does not, by itself, justify a violation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's territorial sovereignty. These are two separate questions under international law: first, whether the resort to force had any legal basis at all; and second, assuming the applicability of international humanitarian law, whether the operation complied with the requirements and limits set out under those rules. Therefore, even an alleged military objective can neither legitimize an initial unlawful resort to force, nor eliminate responsibility for the effects and consequences of any violation of the rules governing military operations.
The deaths and injuries among the homeland's defenders and Iranian citizens, and the damage to public and private property resulting from this attack, further underscore the human and material dimensions of this aggression. The victims of this attack cannot be reduced to numbers or military terminology, nor can its effects be dismissed merely as "collateral damage" of a military operation. Every human life lost as a result of an unlawful act, and every instance of harm to people and their property, carries legal consequences that cannot be disregarded on the basis of political considerations or security claims.
Iran's Human Rights Headquarters stresses that the fundamental rules of international law — including the prohibition on the use of force and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states — are not selective rules subject to the will of major powers. The same conduct cannot be considered aggression and a violation of the Charter in one part of the world, while being met with silence or justification when carried out by a major power or its allies. The continuation of this double standard not only undermines justice and fairness but also threatens the credibility and effectiveness of the entire international legal system.
The international community, and the United Nations in particular, cannot remain silent in the face of such actions. The core responsibility of the international system is to maintain peace and security and ensure adherence to the principles set out in the UN Charter, and this responsibility must not be influenced by political considerations, military power or alliance relationships. Silence in the face of aggression is not neutrality — if it continues, it will contribute to normalizing violations of the fundamental rules of international law.
Iran's Human Rights Headquarters expects international institutions and relevant mechanisms to abandon selective approaches and political considerations in response to this flagrant act of aggression, and to fulfill their legal responsibilities. The standards of international law must be uniform, universal and non-discriminatory, and no state should consider itself above the law because of greater political or military power.
Accordingly, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its established right to fully pursue the legal and international dimensions of this aggression and to demand accountability and compensation for the damages resulting from it, and expects the international community to respond to this unlawful act responsibly and in accordance with the requirements of the UN Charter. Continued silence and inaction in the face of such actions will only weaken the rule of law and normalize violations of the fundamental principles of international law.
In closing, while honoring the memory of those martyred in this aggression, offering condolences to the bereaved families, and wishing a full recovery to the wounded, the statement stresses that Iran's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, the established rights of the Iranian people, and the fundamental principles of international law are not matters that can be met with silence or indifference in the face of their violation. Responsibility for this unlawful act and its consequences rests with those who carried it out, and accountability and full compensation for the damages are a basic requirement of the rule of law in the international arena.
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