Israel's war of aggression and Iran's legitimate response By Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman of Iran’s foreign ministry The world must be united to counteract the aggressor... On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a large-scale, unprovoked military attack on Iran, targeting residential neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure, government sites, and IAEA-monitored nuclear facilities. In one particularly atrocious instance, an Israeli strike on a residential building resulted in the killing of 60 civilians, including 35 children and women. In a new wave of military operations, Israel started to target infrastructure and industrial sites as well.  These actions represent clear violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, the UN Charter, and the legal frameworks protecting nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards. Israel’s strikes on safeguarded nuclear sites defy specific IAEA resolutions (GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533) that prohibit attacks on peaceful nuclear installations and warn of the dangers such actions pose to regional and global security.  The assault fits a pattern of repeated Israeli violations against sovereign states and reflects a consistent strategy of militarized coercion and defiance of international law. Iran responded to the attack by invoking its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter, taking proportionate and lawful action aimed solely at legitimate military targets such as command centers and operational infrastructure. The United Nations Security Council has failed to take meaningful action, despite clear precedent, such as Resolution 487 (1981), which condemned Israel’s previous attack on Iraq’s nuclear facility. This inaction undermines the credibility of the international system and reflects the political shielding of Israel by a handful of powerful countries.  Iran urges the international community to condemn Israel’s unlawful aggression, uphold the principles of the UN Charter, reject the normalization of force over diplomacy, and reinforce accountability as the foundation of international peace and security. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/514377/Israel-s-war-of-aggression-and-Iran-s-legitimate-response