Foreign Minister Berendsen rightly criticizes Iran for its severe internal repression, the bloody crackdown on protests, and the country’s destabilizing role in the region. Iran is also called upon to cease its counterattacks on Israel, other countries, and American targets in the region. However, what is completely missing – both in the minister’s statements and those of the EU – is any condemnation of the unlawful actions by the US and Israel, or a call for them to stop. Worse still, the minister has even expressed “understanding” for these actions. At the same time, international law is being relativized. This is incomprehensible and unacceptable.
The violence against Iran violates the UN Charter, which was established after World War II precisely to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” Article 2(4) of the Charter states that every country must refrain from the use of force against another state. The only exceptions are self-defense or a mandate from the UN Security Council. Neither applies here. This is therefore an illegal war, a war of aggression. The Nuremberg Tribunal, set up in 1945 to prosecute the Nazis, ruled that waging a war of aggression is the supreme international crime – one from which all other war crimes follow.
Diplomatic route still open
Just before the war, there were even positive signals that an agreement might be possible. This is reminiscent of last June, when negotiations were also underway, but the US and Israel did not wait for the outcome and launched an attack. In just twelve days, more than a thousand Iranians, including hundreds of civilians, were killed. It is important to remember that Iran has previously demonstrated its ability to reach an agreement on its nuclear program. In 2015, a deal was struck that successfully restricted uranium enrichment for years, until it was unilaterally abandoned by US President Trump during his first term.
The US and Israel cite Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons as the main reason for this war, but this has not been proven. Even US intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency stated as recently as last year that there is no evidence to support this claim.
Bloody crackdown on demonstrations
There is no denying that the Iranian government is extremely repressive and oppresses its own people, as was again evident earlier this year when protests were brutally suppressed. But a war of aggression, large-scale destruction, and bloodshed – the result of US-Israeli airstrikes – are not the answer. Bombs do not bring freedom or democracy; they only bring additional suffering and misery to the Iranian people.
The violence is now escalating rapidly. According to the human rights organization HRANA, more than a thousand civilians have been killed in Iran by the bombardments. Over a hundred thousand people have fled the capital Tehran in search of safety. Israel has resumed bombing Lebanon and launched a ground offensive, displacing hundreds of thousands and killing hundreds more. Countries across the region are being drawn into the conflict, especially as Iran retaliates against Israel and US targets. Civilians are being killed in the process. These will not be the last victims of this reckless action, which lacks a clear end goal or strategy.
This war must be stopped as soon as possible. The US-Israeli war against Iran must be condemned (as Spain has already done), and there must be an immediate push for a ceasefire and a return to diplomacy. It is also crucial that the Netherlands does not facilitate this aggression in any way, for example by allowing the transit of US military equipment. Experience shows that the Netherlands is often a key transit country for US military materiel used in the Middle East. This must not be allowed to happen now.
The call is clear: Prime Minister Jetten’s cabinet must take its own coalition agreement seriously and stand up for international law.
This article appeared in Joop.
