Iran: The Hague Must Take Principled Stance on US-Israeli Aaggression

Wednesday, July 09, 2025

SAEDNEWS: Iran’s ambassador to the Netherlands has criticized the Dutch government for its silence in the face of Israel and the US attacks on the Islamic Republic.

Iran: The Hague Must Take Principled Stance on US-Israeli Aaggression

Speaking with Dutch public broadcaster Ongehoord Nederland, Ambassador Hadi Farajvand said The Hague — widely known as the “legal capital of the world” for hosting the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — has a responsibility to take a principled stance.

“We expected the Netherlands to respond appropriately and issue a clear condemnation of this aggression and blatant violation of international law.”

Israel attacked Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian infrastructure during a 12-day unprovoked aggression that began on June 13. The United States later joined the offensive, targeting three major nuclear sites, just before Tel Aviv unilaterally accepted a US-proposed ceasefire.

The US, Israel, and their Western allies have been accusing Iran of “diverting” its peaceful nuclear energy program towards “military purposes” – a claim that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has failed to verify.

Farajvand also highlighted that, according to repeated reports by the IAEA, Iran’s nuclear program “has always been peaceful,” with no evidence of diversion toward military objectives.

“Therefore, the pretexts put forward by the Zionist regime and the United States to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities lack any legal basis or international legitimacy.”

Farajvand, who also serves as Iran's Permanent Representative to the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), said that based on Islamic principles, a clear religious decree (fatwa) issued by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and rational considerations linked to national interests, Tehran firmly rejects the production and use of nuclear weapons.

“Iran considers the production and use of such weapons as fundamentally incompatible with its human, ethical, and religious values.”

The Islamic Republic, the ambassador said, however, “reserves the right to respond to any threats to its territorial integrity or national security within the framework of international law.”

Farajvand said the aggression against Iran, which came as Tehran and Washington were conducting indirect negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, was a “betrayal of ongoing diplomatic efforts,” and exposed the Trump administration’s “lack of seriousness when it comes to dialogue and negotiation.”

“Iran has always advocated for stability, dialogue, and political solutions in the region,” he said. “But it will respond firmly, rationally, and in line with international law to any threat against its sovereignty or security.”