Statement of Protest against U.S. Armed Attack on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

　U.S. President Donald Trump said on June 22 (Japan time) that "the U.S. military carried out large-scale precision strikes targeting Iran's three major nuclear facilities, with the goal of destroying Iran's nuclear enrichment capabilities and deterring the nuclear threat posed by the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism. I can report to the world that this attack has been a brilliant military success."
　Iran, meanwhile, condemned the U.S. attack as a "grave violation of the UN Charter, international law, and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)," saying that "Iran has every option to protect its sovereignty, national interests, and people" and that "all Americans and U.S. forces in the Middle East are legitimate targets." It was reported that a ceasefire was agreed on the 24th of the same month, but it is unclear whether the ceasefire will be maintained. The U.S. attack on Iran has brought about an extremely dangerous situation not only for the Middle East but also for the peace of the world.
　The U.S. justifies an armed attack on Iran's nuclear facilities by calling it "destroying its nuclear enrichment capabilities" and "deterring a nuclear threat." However, Iran is a party to the NPT and has been open to negotiations. Rather, it was the first Trump administration that unilaterally scrapped the 2015 U.S., Europeanium-Iran Nuclear Agreement (JCPOA), which set a cap on Iran's uranium enrichment. An armed attack on Iran's nuclear facilities in defiance of the past is an extremely dangerous act that could lead to radioactive contamination, violates the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force in principle, and may violate the NPT and customary international humanitarian law.
　Article 6 of the NPT provides that "Each of the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiation in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control." Both the United States and Iran have pledged "good faith negotiations." If the U.S. wants Iran to "give up its nuclear weapons," it should do so through good faith negotiations. However, the United States did not even seek this negotiation. Nonetheless, the use of force against Iran, a member of the NPT, is an outrageous act that could lead to the collapse of the NPT regime.
　The UN Charter states that "international disputes shall be settled by peaceful means" (Article 2, Paragraph 3). It states that the parties "shall…seek a solution by…peaceful means" such as “negotiations” (Article 33, Paragraph 1). International peace and security can be achieved through sincere negotiations, dialogue and diplomatic efforts, and the use of force is counterproductive.
　As a group of lawyers who aim for the abolition of nuclear weapons and support for atomic bomb survivors from the standpoint that "humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist," the Association strongly condemns the armed attack on Iran's nuclear facilities by the United States and strongly urges the United States to refrain from using any force in the future.

June 26, 2025
Kenichi Okubo, President of
the Japan Association of Anti-Nuclear Lawyers