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 Iran was a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force outside of self-defence or when authorised 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, say the signatories, 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 signatories include notable figures such as Jonathan Tracy, a former US army judge advocate, and Harold Hongju Koh, a former legal adviser at the US state department. They express their grave concerns that the conduct and threats outlined in their letter are causing serious harm to civilians, degrading the rule of law and fundamental norms that protect every nation's civilians.
Public statements by senior officials indicate an alarming disrespect for the rules of international humanitarian law accepted by states, which protect civilians and members of the armed forces.
The US Department of Defense is investigating the strike on a primary school in Minab, Iran, that reportedly killed at least 168 people, including many children. Experts believe this attack likely violates international humanitarian law, and if evidence of recklessness is found, it could be deemed a war crime.
This letter has been published in Just Security, a journal based at New York University School of Law.
