01/03/2026
LEGAL AND HUMANITARIAN ADVISORY
ON THE ONGOING HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE US, ISREAL, AND IRAN - WITH A GLOBAL APPEAL TO END TERRORISM AND PROTECT HUMANITY
I. Current Situation — Urgent and Escalating Conflict
Recent credible reports confirm that the United States and Israel have launched coordinated military operations against targets within the Islamic Republic of Iran in what has been described as Operation Epic Fury or Operation Lion’s Roar, marking one of the most significant direct confrontations in decades.
According to multiple sources:
Explosions and airstrikes have struck Tehran and other Iranian cities, including infrastructure and military sites.
Retaliatory missile and drone attacks have been reported by Iran against U.S. bases and Israeli interests in several Gulf states, including Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and Kuwait.
Iranian authorities and civil protection agencies report significant civilian casualties and injuries across many provinces.
Another reported airstrike hit an elementary school in southern Iran, resulting in the tragic deaths of many children and profound grief in communities.
World leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General, have expressed grave concern and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
This escalation has triggered fear of a broader regional conflagration, with global diplomatic, humanitarian, and economic impacts.
II. International Law — The Prohibition of the Use of Force
Under the Charter of the United Nations, Article 2(4) prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, without lawful justification.
Military action may only be legal when justified as self-defence in response to an armed attack under Article 51, and even then, must be necessary and proportionate.
The recent coordinated offensive raises fundamental questions about the applicability of self-defence, imminence of threat, and proportionality — legal issues that demand independent international investigation and verification.
Deliberate military strikes that exceed lawful self-defence — or that are intended to effect regime change — risk violation of core international law norms.
III. International Humanitarian Law — Protecting Civilians in Conflict
Once hostilities occur, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) continues to apply, including:
Distinction: Parties must distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Proportionality: Attacks must avoid excessive civilian harm.
Precautions: All feasible steps must be taken to minimize human suffering.
The reported impact on schools, residential neighbourhoods, hospitals, and infrastructure underscores the urgent need for strict compliance with IHL.
Any actions that disproportionately endanger civilian lives — especially children and the most vulnerable — are deeply troubling under both law and conscience.
IV. Terrorism, Proxy Warfare, and Global Security
Beyond the immediate hostilities in West Asia, the conflict sits within a broader global challenge: the scourge of terrorism and extremist violence.
Many states, including Israel and the United States, have long accused the Iranian regime of sponsoring armed non-state actors and proxy networks that have contributed to instability in the Middle East and beyond.
International law recognises that if a state materially supports armed groups that carry out internationally wrongful acts, it may incur legal responsibility.
However, such assertions must be evaluated based on evidence and adjudicated in lawful forums rather than through unilateral military conclusion alone.
At the same time, terrorism — in all its forms — must be unequivocally and universally condemned. No ideology, past grievance, or political goal can justify violence against innocent civilians.
Terrorism erodes international peace, fractures societies, and deprives families everywhere of security and dignity.
The effort to root out global terrorism must be consistent, impartial, and grounded in law — not selective, politicised, or revenge-driven. This means:
🪖Supporting multilateral mechanisms for combating terrorism finance, trafficking, and radicalisation anywhere in the world.
🪖Strengthening institutions such as the United Nations, Interpol, and regional security frameworks.
🪖Promoting accountability for all actors who violate international law.
V. Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Imperatives
The nuclear dimension further heightens the risk of catastrophe. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) prohibits Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons while obligating nuclear-armed states to pursue disarmament in good faith.
In the current crisis:
🚀Iran must be prevented from enriching uranium in ways that could produce weapons-usable material.
🚀Nuclear-armed states must accelerate, not delay, verifiable disarmament.
🚀The legitimacy of non-proliferation depends on credible disarmament commitments by all nuclear weapon states, including the US, Israel, China, France, Britain, North Korea, Germany, Pakistan, and India, etc.
Sustainable peace requires eliminating nuclear threats, not expanding them.
VI. Humanitarian and Moral Imperatives — A World at Risk
Behind every strategic calculation are human lives — mothers, fathers, children, teachers, workers, and neighbours whose futures are shattered by war. The law exists to protect these lives, and morality demands that nations choose diplomacy over destruction.
At this critical hour:
🕊️Hostilities must immediately cease.
🕊️A globally coordinated ceasefire must be negotiated.
🕊️Urgent humanitarian aid must reach civilians on all sides.
🕊️Trusted international bodies must investigate alleged war crimes, terrorism sponsorship, and violations of law.
🕊️The international community must reaffirm that violence — whether by individuals, organisations, or states — is never the answer to political disagreement.
VII. Call for Action — Peace, Accountability, and Resilience
In pursuit of a lawful and peaceful world, this advisory calls for:
🏳️Immediate cessation of armed hostilities and de-escalation of military operations.
🏳️An emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to impose and monitor a ceasefire.
🏳️Independent investigation into all civilian deaths and destruction.
🏳️Strengthened global cooperation to end terrorism, terror finance, and extremist violence.
🏳️Universal adherence to International Humanitarian Law and human rights standards.
🏳️Renewed diplomacy to address underlying grievances, including nuclear concerns and regional security arrangements.
🏳️Acceleration of global nuclear disarmament by all nuclear-capable states.
Violence has never forged lasting peace. The world must choose diplomacy, law, restraint, and above all, a shared commitment to humanity.
VIII. Conclusion
The escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel, and Iran are more than a regional confrontation — they are a test of the international legal order and the moral resolve of humanity. War must not become the default answer to terrorism, threat perception, or political rivalry.
The universal thirst for peace, safety, and human flourishing demands that all states:
⚖️Respect sovereignty and life.
⚖️Abide by international law.
⚖️Reject terrorism unequivocally.
⚖️Embrace collective action for peace.
In this moment of crisis, the world must stand up for law, humanity, and a future where no parent fears for their child’s tomorrow.
King J Nkum is a Lawyer, International Legal Scholar, and Humanitarian at Kingsland Foundation
