More than 100 experts on international law have signed an open letter expressing profound concern about what they see as serious violations of international law by the US, Israel, and Iran in the Middle East war.
They say the US-Israeli decision to attack on Iran was a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force outside of self-defense or when authorized by the UN Security Council.
The experts point to alarming rhetoric being used by officials, including US President Donald Trump's threats to obliterate Iran's power plants.
In response, the White House said Trump was making the entire region safer and dismissed what it described as so-called experts.
In the letter, the experts also took issue with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's statement that no quarter be given for enemies. Denial of quarter in conflict means refusing to spare the life of anybody, even those who surrender or are wounded.
In international law, the signatories argue, it is especially forbidden to declare that no quarter will be given, a prohibition also set out in the Department of Defense's own law of war manual.
The letter from experts including Jonathan Tracy, a former US army judge advocate, and Oona A Hathaway, a professor of International Law at Yale, states: We are gravely concerned that the conduct and threats outlined here are causing serious harm to civilians… and that they risk degrading the rule of law and fundamental norms that protect every nation's civilians.
According to Human Rights Activists News Agency, since the start of the conflict, 1,606 civilians have been killed in Iran, including at least 244 children.
The experts' letter also highlights attacks on civilians, including a primary school in the Iranian town of Minab which reportedly killed at least 168 people.
The Department of Defense has stated that it is investigating this tragic incident which has raised concerns regarding the adherence to international humanitarian laws.
