Netherlands Should Have Condemned Israel Attack Against Iran

Farajvand made the remarks during an interview with the Dutch broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland, two weeks after a ceasefire ended 12 days of war that began with Israeli airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and civilian areas on June 13.

Iran responded powerfully, striking various locations across Israeli-occupied territories using ballistic missiles and drones. The Armed Forces also launched a missile strike at a US airbase in Qatar on June 23 after Washington directly entered the war and bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites a day earlier.

Highlighting the diplomatic significance of The Hague, Farajvand noted that the city is home to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), earning it a reputation as the global capital of international law. Given this role, he asserted, the Netherlands should have issued a clear condemnation of the US and Israeli aggression.

Farajvand noted that the attacks occurred while Iran was engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States regarding its nuclear program. He said the assault was a “betrayal” of diplomacy and evidence of the US’s lack of commitment to negotiation.

The envoy reiterated Iran’s stance that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful, referring to confirmations by the UN nuclear watchdog that no military diversion has been recorded in the Iranian nuclear activities.

He argued that the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities under the pretext of weapons development constituted an unjustified act of aggression, lacking legal grounds or international legitimacy.

Therefore, he emphasized that the attacks by the US and Israel on Iranian nuclear facilities under the pretext that Iran seeks nuclear weapons constituted a clear act of aggression, lacking legal grounds or international legitimacy.

Iran’s response, Farajvand said, was conducted in line with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which allows for self-defense.