A Call to Action from Iranian Law Professors: Preserving International Law in a Time of Conflict

In light of recent Israeli aggression against Iran, Iranian law professors have issued an urgent appeal to the academic community and international organizations. Their letter details violations of international humanitarian law, emphasizing the protection of civilians, aid centers, nuclear sites, media, and civilian infrastructure from attack, and calls for global cooperation to end hostilities.

The letter prepared and signed by Iranian Law faculty members reads as follows:

Our fellow members of the academic community,

Given the military aggression by the Israeli regime against our beloved country Iran and the ensuing war in the volatile West Asian region, we, professors of law at Iranian universities, would like to draw your attention to the following points and request your assistance in effectively disseminating the information contained in this letter:

1. In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, any threat or use of force in relations between states is prohibited. Despite this provision, Israel has for years threatened the government and people of Iran in various ways, and in the past two years, it has resorted to illegal use of force against our country on several occasions, the latest example being the blatant aggression on Iranian territory on Friday, 13 June 2025. Considering that the prohibition of aggression is recognised as a peremptory norm (jus cogens) in international law, and what has occurred is a grave violation of this fundamental rule of international law, it is imperative that, pursuant to customary rules of international law, all states cooperate in ending the violation of this peremptory norm and provide no assistance in its continuation. In this regard, it is noteworthy that the claim of preemptive self-defense, raised in statements by Israeli officials to legitimise this action, even if such a rule were to exist in positive international law—which it does not—is conditional on the existence of an imminent threat. It is absolutely clear that no such threat emanated from Iran towards Israel, and this aggression occurred precisely when the Iranian government was negotiating for a peaceful resolution of the issue related to its nuclear program.

2. Following this aggression, an international armed conflict has begun between Iran and Israel, which necessitates the application of positive and customary rules of international humanitarian law. From this perspective, it is essential that persons and objects protected by this international normative system be respected, and in accordance with Common Article 1 of the four Geneva Conventions, all states are obliged to ensure respect of these vital principles. These considerations, especially given what we have witnessed over the past days, include the following:

•    Civilians are immune from attack. It is evident that the concept of “civilian” also includes scientists and university professors who, unfortunately, have lost their lives in targeted attacks in recent days, while they were asleep at midnight in residential buildings belonging to university faculty. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) explicitly states that civilians lose their immunity only when they directly participate in hostilities, and it is clear that academic activity does not fall within this definition. Furthermore, adherence to the fundamental principles of distinction and proportionality requires, firstly, avoiding direct attacks on civilians, and secondly, considering incidental civilian casualties in any attack. This is in stark contrast to the continuous attacks by the Israeli army on Iranian cities and residential areas, and the military and political officials of Israel have even ordered to evacuate Tehran several times! The result of these actions has been the killing and injuring of a large number of Iranian people in various cities and locations, and the bitter trend continues unabated.
•    Aid centres and humanitarian aid personnel are immune from attack. These centres and individuals specifically include hospitals and staff of medical and aid organisations, including the property and aid workers of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, who, despite operating with identifying signs (the Red Crescent emblem), have been repeatedly attacked in recent days.
•    Sites containing dangerous forces are immune from attack. Evidently, among the most prominent places containing dangerous forces are nuclear sites, any damage to which could pose severe, widespread, and long-term dangers to the civilian population and the environment. Unfortunately, over the past few days, Iranian nuclear sites have been attacked repeatedly also by the US forces on June 22, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also confirmed the occurrence of these attacks, and there is a constant concern that the leakage of radioactive materials could expose the lives of millions of people in the region to irreparable dangers. Furthermore, in recent days, Iranian oil depots and reserves have been subjected to repeated attacks.
•    Media and journalists are immune from attack. These persons and properties, in addition to benefiting from general protections for civilians and civilian objects, are specifically protected by the provisions of international humanitarian law. Therefore, what occurred in the direct attack on the premises of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) is a grave violation of these regulations.
•    Cyber-attacks on civilian targets are prohibited. Although humanitarian law regulations do not explicitly refer to cyber-attacks, it is clear that civilian data, including data from banks and public service providers, must be protected. Unfortunately, in recent days, the Iranian banking system and exchange offices have been subjected to cyber-attacks, resulting in serious difficulties for people accessing their money and assets. It should be emphasized that the ICRC in interpreting the principle of proportionality has stated that collateral and indirect damage must also be taken into account in calculations related to adhering to this principle. Therefore, in any cyber operation, all definite and probable damages and harms to the civilian population must be considered.

3. The barbaric actions of the Israeli regime, some of which have been mentioned in this correspondence, are considered war crimes. Due to their commission in Gaza since October 2023, the criminal leaders of this regime, including Benjamin Netanyahu, are being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

This is a summary of the numerous violations of the fundamental principles and rules of international humanitarian law and the law on the use of force, which the mainstream media narrative may not accurately cover or may normalise and simplify the transgression of fundamental regulations governing the international community. 
Therefore, we invite each of you to disseminate these issues and prevent the international legal system, and especially the law of armed conflicts, from being undermined. This will enable us, on the one hand, to call upon international organisations, particularly the United Nations Security Council, the General Assembly, and the IAEA to condemn these atrocities, and on the other hand, to unite in demanding an end to the violent and alarming trend that could jeopardise international peace and security more than ever before.

Sincerely yours,

The Signatories:

 

Abbas Mohammadkhani, Faculty Member, Ilam University

Abbas Salmanpour, Faculty Member, University of Guilan

Abbas Sheikhaleslami, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad

Ahmad Yousefi Sadeghloo, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran

Ali Abbas Hayati, Razi University, Kermanshah

Ali Eslamipanah, Faculty Member, University of Tehran

Ali Khaleghi, Faculty Member, University of Tehran

Amir Maghami, Faculty Member, University of Isfahan

Badie Fathi, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Bagher Shamloo, Faculty Member, Shahid Beheshti University

Behshid Arfa'nia, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University

Behzad Razavifard, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Bizhan Abbasi, Faculty Member, University of Tehran

Gholamnabi Feyzi Chekab, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Habibollah Rahimi, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Hadi Salehi, Faculty Member, Shiraz University

Hamidreza Oloumi Yazdi, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Hassan Vakilian, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Hassanali Doroudian, Faculty Member, University of Tehran

Hossein Aghaei Jannatmakan, Faculty Member, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz

Hossein Askarirad, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University

Hossein Fakhr, Faculty Member, University of Tabriz

Hossein Gholami Doon, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Hossein Sharifi Tarazkouhi, Faculty Member, Imam Hossein University (AS)

Hossein Soleimani, Faculty Member, Mofid University

Jamshid Gholamloo, Faculty Member, University of Tehran

Javad Kashani, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mahdi Hadavand, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mahin Sobhani, Faculty Member, University of Guilan

Maryam Jalali, Faculty Member, University of Isfahan

Masoud Kharashadizadeh, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad

Mehrzad Abdali, Faculty Member, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin

Mohammad Ali Solhchi, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Ghasem Tangestani, Faculty Member, Kharazmi University

Mohammad Hadi Javaherkalam, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Isayi Tafreshi, Faculty Member, Tarbiat Modares University

Mohammad Jafar Habibzadeh, Faculty Member, Tarbiat Modares University

Mohammad Mahdi Hajian, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Mohammadi Gorgani, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Reza Pasban, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Reza Vizheh, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohammad Reza Ziaei Bigdeli, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Mohsen Abdollahi, Faculty Member, Shahid Beheshti University

Mohsen Mohebbi, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch

Mohsen Sharifi, Faculty Member, Shiraz University

Mojgan Raminnia, Faculty Member, Payam-e Noor University

Morteza Shahbazinia, Faculty Member, Tarbiat Modares University

Mostafa Fazaeli, Faculty Member, University of Qom

Pezhman Mohammadi, Faculty Member, Tarbiat Modares University

Pouria Askari, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Reza Daryaei, Faculty Member, University of Guilan

Sattar Azizi, Faculty Member, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamadan

Seyed Elhameddin Sharifi, Faculty Member, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin

Seyed Ghasem Zamani, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Seyed Mohammad Hadi Saei, Faculty Member, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin

Seyed Reza Al-e-Mohammad, Faculty Member, Islamic Azad University, Fars

Tahmoures Bashiriyeh, Faculty Member, Allameh Tabataba'i University

Tavakkol Habibzadeh, Faculty Member, Imam Sadiq University

Important Note: All LAW Faculty Members at Iranian universities are encouraged to contribute to this important humanitarian endeavour. To add your name to the list of signatories, kindly submit your request to: international@atu.ac.ir.