UN Experts Denounce US and Israel Over Wars in Iran and Lebanon

The experts, including Francesca Albanese, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, and Michael Fakhri, warned that viewing oneself as above international law invites catastrophic regional escalation. They specifically criticized President Donald Trump’s demand for the Iranian government’s unconditional surrender, arguing that such rhetoric guarantees prolonged conflict and massive human suffering. The group maintained that no alleged human rights violations by a state justify an illegal military attack or the violation of sovereign borders, noting that every casualty in this campaign represents a breach of the right to life.

This condemnation highlights a deepening divide within the United Nations. On Wednesday, the Security Council voted 13-0 to condemn Iranian strikes against several nations hosting US military installations, with Russia and China abstaining. Iran’s UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, characterized the session as a shameful display of Western hypocrisy. He pointed to the lack of concern for civilian deaths, including the reported massacre of 170 students at a school in Minab, as evidence that Western claims of protecting children are merely rhetorical. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, roughly 2,000 people have been killed and millions displaced across the region.