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 on 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, which in conflict means refusing to spare the life of anybody, even those who surrender or are wounded. It is considered especially forbidden in international law.
The signatories include notable figures such as Jonathan Tracy, a former US army judge advocate, Harold Hongju Koh, a former legal adviser at the US State Department, and Oona A Hathaway, a law professor at Yale.
They expressed concern that the threats and conduct are causing significant harm to civilians while undermining fundamental legal norms that protect them.
The experts note that public statements from senior officials indicate a striking disrespect for the rules of international humanitarian law accepted by states.
The US Department of Defense is investigating a recent attack on a primary school in Minab, Iran, which reportedly killed at least 168 people including many children. Evidence suggests this devastating strike may have resulted from a US attack that relied on outdated intelligence.
The letter was published in Just Security, an online journal based at New York University School of Law.
