Statement of Protest Against the Attack on Iran
by the United States and Israel

Japan Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
President
Kenichi Okubo

　On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel initiated full-scale military action against Iran, following the airstrikes on nuclear facilities last June. This use of force destroys the international legal order painstakingly built by our predecessors. Therefore, our association strongly protests against both countries.
　Reports indicate that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in this attack. Furthermore, according to Iran's Red Crescent Society, over 200 people died within Iran on February 28. Iran's state television reported that the death toll at an elementary school in the southern Hormozgan Province reached 148, including numerous girls.
　The United States and Israel justify this as a preemptive and preventive measure, claiming Iran's nuclear-related activities pose a grave threat to regional and national security. However, this military action constitutes an armed attack prohibited by the UN Charter and is nothing less than an act of aggression that clearly violates international law, failing to meet the requirements for exercising the right of collective self-defense.Israel and the United States are effectively disregarding the international legal order to impose their own claims, engaging in acts of aggression against other nations. This, including the earlier U.S. attempt to detain Venezuelan President Maduro, leads to a world dominated by unchecked power, with nuclear weapons at its apex. Particularly, this attack, targeting not only nuclear-related facilities but also taking the lives and livelihoods of civilians, is absolutely unacceptable.
　While Iran should be condemned if it is developing nuclear weapons, this does not justify the use of force. Moreover, nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States are ongoing. On February 26, Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, acting as mediator, stated that “significant progress” had been made, and it was reported that working-level talks were scheduled to take place. Attempting to resolve the nuclear issue through military threats or preemptive strikes risks provoking retaliatory nuclear development or use, potentially intensifying the momentum for nuclear proliferation and raising the risk of nuclear weapon use. This military action was carried out by Israel, which possesses nuclear weapons without being a party to the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty), alongside the United States, one of the world's largest military powers, without any conclusive evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.Moreover, this military action comes just two months before the scheduled NPT Review Conference. It undermines the NPT regime, which recognizes the peaceful use of nuclear energy and aims for nuclear disarmament through dialogue and consultation. It also nullifies international efforts toward nuclear abolition, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which has been joined by a majority of nations.Nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament should be achieved through dialogue, verification, and strengthening international frameworks. The actions of the United States and Israel, which seek to unilaterally impose their will through military force, must be strongly condemned.
　Regarding these military actions by the United States and Israel, the Japanese government, in a statement by the Minister for Foreign Affairs released on March 1, did not condemn them. Instead, it solely criticized Iran, stating, “Iran's development of nuclear weapons is absolutely unacceptable,” and “Iran should cease its nuclear weapons development and actions destabilizing the region.” The statement asserts that Japan “has respected fundamental values and principles such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.” If this were truly the case, Japan should first condemn the outrageous acts of the United States and Israel, which disregard international law.
　Following the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, Iran has retaliated, causing damage to Israel and other neighboring countries. This escalation of military force inevitably harms innocent civilians, a situation our association absolutely cannot tolerate.Therefore, our association demands that both the United States and Israel immediately cease the use of force and return to diplomatic solutions based on international law. We also urge the Japanese government to protest to both countries and demand an immediate halt to military actions. The international community must prioritize the protection of civilians and the rule of law, strengthening effective efforts toward de-escalation and the abolition of nuclear weapons.

March 3, 2026