Legal assessment of US Intervention in Israel’s Military Attack against Iran under the Guise of Collective Self-Defense

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor of International Law, Law faculty, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

2 Ph.D. Candidate in International law, law Faculaty,University of Qom, Qom, Iran

10.22091/ijicl.2026.15079.1228

Abstract

The large-scale military operation launched by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 13, 2025, purportedly aimed at neutralizing its enrichment capabilities and eliminating a rapidly escalating nuclear threat, constitutes one of the most contentious instances of the use of force in contemporary international relations. The initial operation targeted sites in Natanz and Isfahan. Crucially, on June 21, 2025, the United States joined the conflict, conducting bombing operations against Iranian nuclear sites. The official justification presented by the United States to the UN Security Council for its military participation was the inherent right of collective self-defence consistent with the UN Charter. The US representative asserted that the action was designed to aid its ally, Israel, in eliminating a longstanding but rapidly escalating source of global insecurity. This legal claim transforms the scenario into a critical test for the limitations of jus ad bellum (the law governing the resort to force), as it attempts to stretch the concept of collective self-defense - traditionally predicated upon responding to a demonstrable armed attack -to legitimize preemptive action against unconventional or future threats. Therefore, a rigorous analysis of the juridical nature of this intervention and its compliance with the stringent requirements of public international law, particularly the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is paramount.

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Iranian Journal of International and Comparative Law

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 18 May 2026

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