US lawmakers, legal experts: Trump administration waging illegal war on Iran

People participate in a funeral procession for the Iranians killed in the ongoing US-Israeli aggression in the city of Isfahan, central Iran, on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Tasnim news agency)

Several legal scholars and bipartisan lawmakers have stated that US President Donald Trump's administration is waging an illegal war of aggression on Iran, and the offensive both defies the US Constitution and international armed conflict laws.

"These are military policy objectives," said Wells Dixon, a senior attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. 

"They are not a legal basis to launch an armed attack against another country," he said as he challenged the legal basis for the administration's explanations for waging war.

Marko Milanovic, a professor of international law at the University of Reading, said even though Iran may pose a threat to the US, there are many ways to respond.

"Using force would require a basis in self-defense," he said.

The legislators and legal experts also pointed out that there are carve outs within international law that permit states to act in their own self-defense.

They emphasized that the concept of an "imminent threat" is measured against evidence of a clear, visible and impending risk.

"For something to be lawful self-defense, it has to be necessary - in the sense that there's no alternative," Brian Finucane, a former state department lawyer, said.

"That's not the situation here. There was another option: the US could have restrained Israel from attacking in the first place," he said.

Finucane highlighted that previous administrations have drawn this line with Israel.

"There was no imminent threat to the United States of America by the Iranians. There was a threat to Israel," Mark Warner, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee, said.

Iran to those silent on anti-Iran war: History will judge you

Spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Esmaeil Baghaei (File photo)

The spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denounced the international community's silence on the ongoing US-Israeli aggression against Iran, stating such a conduct has ruined the global legal order and will jeopardize international peace.

"This is a vicious war imposed upon a civilization. History will judge you all: Those who are siding with aggressors, and all those who are clearly remaining silent vis-a-vis all this injustice," Esmaeil Baghaei wrote in an opinion editorial published on the website of the al-Jazeera television news network on Saturday.

"They will be viewed as complicit in these atrocities. Stay on the right side of the history and oppose this brutal and unjust war," Baghaei added.

Baghaei denounced such an approach as a betrayal of diplomacy, stating that the United States has no respect whatsoever for the rudiments of diplomacy.

"Knowing well about the vile intentions of the US and the apartheid Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran entered negotiations in order to resolve any ambiguities for the international community, prove the legitimate position of the Iranian nation, and expose the irrationality of any excuse for the aggression," he pointed out.

The Iranian diplomat stated that the unfolding developments explicitly show that the US does not believe in diplomacy at all, and is seeking to impose its will on other nations.

He said Iranians are an honorable and resilient nation, and at times proven that they do not capitulate to threats and foreign intervention.

"The centuries-old Iranian civilization is proof of the fact that Iranians have never surrendered to aggression and invasion," he said.

Baghaei underscored that Iran reserves a legal and legitimate right under Article 51 of the UN Charter to respond to the US-Israeli strikes.

He stated that Iranian Armed Forces will employ all its capabilities to confront the offensive.

Baghaei noted that Iranian forces will continue their operations as long as aggression persists.

"As a government that is acting in self-defense, Iran will determine its own necessary and proper measures in retaliation to the ongoing offensive," the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.

Baghaei then called on the UN Secretary General Antonio Gueterres and the rotating president of the Security Council to honor their duties without any reservations, urging all UN member states, particularly regional states, Muslim countries, member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and all governments committed to the promotion of international peace and stability to censure the US-Israeli aggression, and adopt immediate and collective steps in response to the ongoing aggression.

"The ongoing aggressive moves and horrendous crimes are indicative of the unprecedented erosion of the international legal order. Silence and inaction in the face of such an unlawful behavior will not only embolden the US and Israeli regime, but will also inflict lasting and irreversible damage upon the fundamentals of the international legal system," Baghaei said.

The Iranian diplomat stated that the world is now standing at a critical juncture. It must decide whether it wants to be ruled under brutal bullying or wants to support the rule of law at the global stage against destruction.

"This will not be the last instance of illegal use of force of the international community fails to act decisively and responsibly," the spokesman concluded.

For US and Israel, killing the unarmed is business as usual

Both the US and Israel have attacked states and entities they believe provide support or refuge to their enemies. They often refer to them as preemptive strikes or self-defence measures  

On February 28, the US and Israel launched a sneak attack on Iran. The attacks resembled Japan’s sneak attack of the American naval base at Pearl Harbour in the Philippines on December 7, 1941 during World War II.  The US attack on Iran differed from the Japanese one, where in that, Japan attacked a military target. Whereas the US/Israeli attack targeted civilian centres including a girls’ school and the residence of Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

One-hundred and sixty-five girls and their teachers were killed in the strike, as were the Ayatollah his family and a number of military leaders he was meeting with at his residence. Additionally, the US and Israeli forces attacked densely populated neighbourhoods. 

This led to Iranian retaliatory strikes on US bases and facilities in Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. 

Today the US has dragged its war against Iran into the Indian Ocean. Days ago a US submarine surreptitiously attacked an unarmed Iranian frigate within our maritime economic zone outside the Port of Galle. Over a hundred Iranian naval personnel were killed in a shameless attack on a vessel the US knew was unarmed. Sri Lankan navy personnel reported they saw no other vessels in the vicinity at the time. 

Answering a Mayday call from the stricken frigate, Sri Lanka’s Navy rescued around 30 survivors. It also picked up another 80 or more bodies of Iranian naval personnel. A second frigate carrying naval cadets also within Lanka’s maritime economic zone appealed for help to enter Lankan waters. Both ships were part of an Indian-sponsored naval exercise which was to include US navy ships as well. All vessels were prohibited from carrying live ammunition.

At the last minute the US withdrew from the exercise. It is then the Iranian frigate,  while it was sailing back to its base at the conclusion of the exercise, was attacked. Being part of the same exercise the US was aware the Iranian vessel was unarmed and helpless. The second Iranian vessel, which was outside Colombo’s Port, requested permission to enter Sri Lankan waters.

The Sri Lankan President ordered the evacuation of Iranian naval personnel and took into custody the second vessel and had it towed to the Port of Trincomalee to ensure its security. President Dissanayake needs to be hailed for his bold decision to provide refuge to an unarmed and helpless people who were seeking help to escape two heartless enemies. It was sad to hear the raving and ranting of some Members of Parliament blaming Government for action/inaction, regarding a still ongoing explosive international situation. None of them seemed to realise that what little Sri Lanka did yesterday, left India hanging its head in shame. 

The Indian Navy ultimately made a pathetic statement claiming it sent aircraft and ships to augment the search. The statement came hours after Sri Lankan authorities had carried out rescue operations single-handedly. 

Both the US and Israel have attacked states and entities they believe provide support or refuge to their enemies. They often refer to them as preemptive strikes or self-defence measures. Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria over the past decade, and the US has also struck facilities in Iraq and Syria belonging to groups supportive of Iran. For example, US President Trump threatened on Tuesday (March 3) to sever all trade with Spain after it refused to let US planes use its bases to attack Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump told reporters as he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the White House. Trump also lashed out at Britain for not co-operating more in the US war against Iran. In Palestine’s Gaza, Israel has killed over 72,000 civilians including 20,000 children according to organisation Save the Children. 

It was amid all these dangers in mind President Dissanayake responsibly took the decision to save sailors from drowning and subsequently to provide refuge to another 200 Iranian servicemen from a near certain death had they remained beyond Lanka’s territorial waters.

Once again despite all possible threats Sri Lanka has stood up for a humanitarian cause despite possible dangers posed from the world’s most powerful nation who could possibly take umbrage at the action.

Pezeshkian: Enemies will take dream of Iran’s surrender to grave

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke in a televised message on March 7, 2026.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says the enemies will take the dream of Iran’s surrender to the grave, lauding the nation for their perseverance in the face of US-Israeli atrocities.

Speaking in a televised message on Saturday, Pezeshkian offered his condolences over the martyrdom of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, military commanders, and innocent students in a recent US-Israeli aggression.

The regimes in Washington and Tel Aviv launched their unprovoked military assault on February 28, assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and top military commanders.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the criminal aggression by launching barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied territories as well as on the US bases in regional countries.

Pezeshkian declared that enemies who hope Iran will capitulate “will take that dream to the grave,” saying Iran remains bound to international law, human rights and principled conduct—standards the aggressors ignore.

Pezeshkian emphasized that every Iranian, regardless of faith or background, by being present contributes to defending the country’s territorial integrity and creates a sense of disillusionment among our enemies.

He urged all Iranians to set aside internal, stand together, and defend the homeland with full strength, promising to lead the country out of the crisis.

He reiterated that Iran has never planned, nor will ever plan, an invasion of any neighbor.

“We have repeatedly said that they are our brothers. We aim to work hand‑in‑hand with our dear brothers and neighbors in the region to establish lasting peace and stability, and we hope this goal will be achieved,” he noted.

Pezeshkian said a decision made yesterday by the Interim Leadership Council was conveyed to the armed forces, prohibiting attacks on neighboring countries “unless those countries launch an attack on us.”

He added that he believes that such issues should be settled through diplomatic channels, warning that armed conflict would only create further problems with neighboring states.

Pezeshkian warned regional groups and outside powers not to become “puppets of imperialism,” urging that any internal disputes be resolved peacefully rather than being exploited by Israel or the United States.

WHEN THE BOMBS FALL, THE SECTARIAN ULEMA SPEAKS.

By Salim Mohammed Badat

There is something deeply disturbing, no, revealing, about what has just happened.

At a moment when the Muslim world is convulsed by war and imperial aggression; when the region is being reshaped by American power and Zionist violence; when lines are being drawn not by theology but by blood, this is the moment certain Islamic sectarian ulema choose to issue letters warning the Ummah of the dangers of the Shias. 

Not warnings against empire. Not condemnations of Zionism. Not calls for unity against aggression. But instructions on who you are not allowed to support Iran.

Why is your hostility toward Iran stronger than your hostility toward the Zionist entity? Why is your language toward Israel cautious and restrained, while your attacks on Iran are expansive, obsessive, and relentless? 

Why does America appear in your writing as a passing reference, yet Iran dominates your anger? This is not theology. This is political alignment dressed in religious language.

So let me address you directly, the same voices that never tire of anti-Shia rhetoric.

What have you sacrificed? What have you sacrificed for the oppressed? What have you sacrificed for the people of Palestine? What have you sacrificed for the marginalised in South Africa or anywhere else in the world? Answer honestly.

You sit comfortably in your homes. And from that comfort, you pass judgment, often venomous, on a people who have paid a real price.

Meanwhile, Iran has sacrificed the security of its people, the lives of its leaders, the safety of its children, and the blood of its sons and daughters. It has endured decades of sanctions, assassinations, isolation, and unrelenting pressure. It has paid financially, logistically, militarily, and emotionally, for Sunni Palestine. And you?

What were you busy with while others were burying their dead? You were trained in endless years in institutes disconnected from struggle? Is that what you call sacrifice?

Have you sacrificed blood? Have you sacrificed tears? Have you buried your children the way others have? For more than forty years, Iran has paid a cost you cannot even begin to comprehend, while you issued sermons from safety.

Here is the truth they cannot stomach:

Iran, yes, a Shia state, has paid in blood, sanctions, assassinations, and relentless pressure for the Palestinian cause.

They trained.They funded. They armed.

They stood when others issued statements.

And not for a Shia Palestine, but for a Sunni Palestinian people. While these armchair critics have done nothing but warn the Ummah about each other.

From what position of moral authority do they judge? From what ledger of sacrifice?

And this brings us to the unavoidable question. Were you not the same type of scholars who were silent during apartheid South Africa?

When Black people were dispossessed, brutalised, and dehumanised, where were you? Did you stand with the oppressed, or did you accept the status quo because it benefitted you.  Did not your congregation say that under apartheid, Islam was saved ? 

Remember the coloniser does not fear a Muslim who prays; he fears a Muslim who understands his dignity, purpose, and responsibility.

Iqbal believed the British had learned that if Muslims were given religious space but stripped of power, justice, and sovereignty, many would be happy and not resist. Because justice has never been central to how you think.

Among anti-colonial Muslims in India particularly politically conscious scholars and activists, the central accusation was that certain ulama demanded obedience, patience, and strict ritual conformity from the masses while simultaneously submitting to British authority, legitimising colonial rule, and declaring resistance impermissible. 

This posture was widely viewed as a form of selective fiqh that prioritised compliance over justice, weaponised quietism to suppress dissent, and ultimately masked political betrayal behind the language of piety.

Let me articulate what many of you whisper but refuse to declare openly.

Some among you believe Israel is better than Iran. Admit it. That Zionists who massacre Muslims are preferable to Shias who resist empire.

If that is your belief, then say it. Say it clearly. Say it publicly. Stop hiding behind scholarly language and selective quotations. Let the Ummah see you as you truly are. Allah will expose what you conceal regardless.

Here is the truth you need to hear. Iran does not care about you. You are not part of their calculations. You are not part of their strategic thinking. You are not even on their moral horizon. You are insignificant because you contributed nothing. Your condemnation or acceptance is irrelevant and the dua made from comfort while others bleed, is insignificant.

So if you have nothing good to say, say nothing. History does not remember those who criticised from safety. It remembers those who stood with the oppressed when it was costly.

To the Ummah especially South Africa I am speaking to you directly now. Break free from this toxic narrative you have been fed for decades.

There is no excuse for ignorance anymore. None. The information is there. The masks are falling. The lines are no longer even blurred, they are disappearing.

Allah’s first command was not “follow”.

It was “Iqra”, read. If you were ignorant before and like a sheep relied on others to think for you, perhaps that was understandable. But now? What excuse remains? Read. Think. Connect the dots.

This war is not only destroying cities. It is exposing hearts. And many so called ulema are being exposed completely.

Imam Khamenei: A legacy forged in unshakable faith, bravery and steadfastness

By Iqbal Suleiman

The US and the Israeli regime initiated a new war against the Islamic Republic of Iran last week – unprovoked and unjustified – with two audaciously barbaric acts: the assassination of Iran’s Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and the massacre of 165 children at a primary school in southern Iran.

Imam Khamenei was a leader in the true sense of the word. He led from the front and was ardently loved by people – in Iran and across the Muslim world.

There he stood, tall and unyielding – 86 years old, with a body that refused to bend or buckle. It was as though his physical being was perfectly attuned to his heart and soul.

Quite remarkably, even at 86, he remained resolute in his mission and spoke with exemplary conviction. His companions loved and admired him and were prepared to take risks for him. They knew war was coming. They knew his life was in danger.

They had a request to Imam Khamenei, "Let us take you deeper into the country, far from Tehran, where you will be safe." His reply was clear: "No. If you can take every citizen of Tehran to a safe bunker, only then will I go. If not, I will stay here with the people."

Iran, unlike the Israeli regime, is not wealthy. It has endured decades of crippling and unjust sanctions. It does not have bomb shelters and bunkers for all its citizens. For Imam Khamenei, it was a matter of principle: he believed he should face the same dangers and risks as any other Iranian. This is because he emulated the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in letter and spirit, who always led from the front.

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are both brash and brazen – wealthy, privileged, rich, white men. Both are quintessential showboats, proud and arrogant individuals sailing on ego trips. Trump hasn’t sent his son to fight in the war, while Yair Netanyahu plays on American beaches.

On the opposite side stood Imam Khamenei, in all his human greatness – soft spoken, modest, humble, and kind. He courageously stood with his people until the very end.

Imam Khamenei was both a political and a religious leader – an Islamic scholar, philosopher, poet, writer, and avid reader. He was a deep thinker and a devout ascetic.

His home was the simplest, devoid of luxury or extravagance. He lived as an ordinary working-class man, entirely averse to opulence. How different was he from the rest of the rulers in the Muslim world, who retreated to their lavish palatial villas while the people of Gaza were starved to death and endured genocide.

His parents named him Ali, after Imam Ali (AS). There is a mystical wisdom in this. Like Imam Ali (AS), he was the leader of an Islamic government and was martyred in the holy month of Ramadan, struck in the most cowardly manner by enemies who attacked him while he was in prayer.

Martyrdom while fasting and resisting in the month of Ramadan is among the most noble and glorious deaths, a station God bestows only upon a select few of His beloved.

The spilling of Imam Khamenei's blood marks one of the most decisive moments in human history, and some may argue it is the most critical moment since Karbala.

Now we can begin to understand why Imam Khamenei chose martyrdom. He could have escaped to Russia, convincing himself that he would evade death now and return to fight after the war. That would have been the rational choice, but one he refused.

He could have chosen to hide in a bunker beneath a remote mountain, beyond the reach of intelligence agencies. Instead, he chose to remain in Iran, at his residence and workplace, a location known to everyone, where his movements could be easily tracked.

Why did he choose martyrdom or why did martyrdom choose him? Why this moment? And why, in the wisdom of God, was he martyred precisely at this time?

Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, in essence: "Beware of the committed Muslim when he begins to see with the light of God."

Imam Khamenei was among the most spiritually developed characters, one who saw with that divine light. He knew war was coming. He recognized this as his Husseinic moment.

As an heir to the Prophet (peace be upon him), he understood his responsibility as a leader: to lead from the front just as Muhammad (peace be upon him) would do in his battles.

Just before his martyrdom, in a public address, he recited the words of Imam Hussein (AS) to Yazid: "A person like me will not surrender and pay allegiance to a person like you."

Leader of the Islamic Revolution reasoned that the independent, freedom-loving, and justice-seeking people of Iran – rooted in the values of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) – would never surrender to American imperialists and Israeli Zionists.

His blood raises public consciousness. From the very moment the war started, the Yazidic character of Trump, Netanyahu, the imperialists, and the Zionists was exposed. Imam Khamenei was martyred alongside members of his family, just like Imam Hussein (AS).

The defender of the oppressed people worldwide and the children of Gaza is now clearly seen for who he was: a true disciple of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Imam Hussein (AS). Trump and Netanyahu stand exposed as the reincarnation and manifestation of Yazid – the tyrant, the thug, the rapist, the baby killer.

The assassination of Imam Khamenei is straight out of the Karbala school. In the same cold, callous, and cowardly manner that Yazid martyred Imam Hussein (AS) and the children from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Trump and Netanyahu martyred Imam Khamenei and 165 children.

The parallels with Karbala are striking. The blood of those 165 Iranian children immediately invokes the memory of Ali Asghar (AS), the spear piercing the soft skin of an infant's neck, a child from the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

To the human heart, nothing is more loathsome or repulsive than the killing of babies.

At age 86, this was Imam Khamenei's last stand. A heroic stand of defiance. Like Imam Hussein (AS), Imam Khamenei went out screaming a defiant NO! No to injustice, no to genocide, no to imperialism, no to Zionism, no to occupation, no to Epstein, no to subjugation, no to tyranny, no to baby killing, no to surrender.

After assassinating Imam Khamenei, Trump immediately called on the Iranian people to take to the streets. And they did – in their millions, amid the rain of American and Israeli bombs falling on Iran. But not to support Trump and Netanyahu, but to curse them.

They took to the streets to express their love for Imam Khamenei. This reveals just how profoundly Trump and Netanyahu miscalculated. The blowback against this unjust war was instantaneous and immediate. Within hours, the Iranian armed forces fought back with courage, launching unprecedented military strikes that killed American soldiers and Zionists and decimated their military bases.

Imam Khamenei was not just a leader for Iranians. He was revered throughout the world as both a just political and spiritual leader. He held a special place in the hearts of Muslims.

He intuitively knew he would be martyred. This was the purpose of his life. He once said, "My body holds little value. My life bears no significance. Even if they kill me, do not count it as our loss, as long as you remain steadfast on the principles of Imam Hussein (AS)."

There is no doubt that the Empire will come to regret this act. A grave miscalculation, to assassinate the Iranian leader and initiate a war of aggression.

The blowback from this stupidity will no doubt return to haunt the Empire. The nightmare has just begun. The Persian Gulf is on fire. American soldiers are returning in coffins. Iranian missiles are smashing through Israeli bunkers. The global economy is reeling.

All because of an imprudent and illegal war that should never have started.

Iqbal Suleiman is a social justice lawyer and former head of the law clinic, Lawyers for Human Rights (Pretoria, South Africa). He is also a research associate with Media Review Network

Gulf monarchies 'review' trillions-worth of foreign investments amid war losses: Report

Additional Gulf states may follow Qatar in canceling contracts for oil and natural gas deliveries amid attacks on energy infrastructure  

News Desk - The Cradle 

Three of the largest economies in the West Asia are reviewing their foreign investments and future energy production commitments in view of the financial and budget strain resulting from the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, the Financial Times (FT) reported on 6 February.

“A number of Gulf countries have begun an internal review to determine whether force majeure clauses can be invoked in current contracts, while also reviewing current and future investment commitments in order to alleviate some of the anticipated economic strain from the current war,” a Gulf official told the paper. “Especially if the war and related expenses continue at the same pace.”

Among the largest economies in the Gulf are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. All have large sovereign wealth funds that invest heavily in US, UK, and European markets. 

The official declined to state which three Gulf countries are considering such a review.

Iran has struck US bases in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait in response to the US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February that ignited the war.

Gulf officials have complained that Washington did not give their countries advance notice of the US-Israeli attack and ignored their warnings that the war would have devastating consequences for the entire region.

The Gulf states have also claimed that the US has failed to protect their countries, preferring to devote precious missile interceptors to protect Israel instead.

The investment review results from “the pressures these countries are facing on their budgets due to declining revenues from the energy sector, resulting from slower production or shipping disruptions, as well as from the tourism and aviation sectors, in addition to increased defense spending,” the FT stated.

An advisor to a Gulf government said that the possibility of investment reviews by wealthy Gulf nations has alarmed the White House.

After US President Donald Trump visited the Gulf states in May 2025, he claimed he reached investment deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE totaling more than $2 trillion, boasting that, “the jobs and money coming into our countries, there has never been anything like it.”

Any move that affects investments in the US or other western economies could increase pressure on Trump to seek a diplomatic strategy to end the war, the FT added.

The war has halted maritime traffic to a standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which a 20 to 30 percent of the world's oil and gas passes.

Qatar, the world's second-largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), halted production this week after a drone attack on its main LNG terminal.

Doha was forced to declare force majeure, a legal clause that exempts a company from fulfilling its contractual obligations when events beyond its control occur.

One of Saudi Arabia's largest oil refineries, Aramco, was also targeted, forcing a temporary shutdown.

Iranian officials have publicly denied targeting Gulf energy facilities, including Aramco, saying the attack was an Israeli “false flag.”

Prominent US journalist Tucker Carlson stated that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have detained Israeli operatives planning bombings in both countries.

Azerbaijan said on Thursday that drones launched from Iran hit the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, damaging the airport terminal and landing near a school in Shakarabad village.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi refuted this, stating the Islamic Republic “has not targeted the Republic of Azerbaijan,” adding, “We do not target our neighboring countries.”

If the war continues, it could cause a surge in oil and natural gas prices that would pose serious risks for the world economy.

A prolonged conflict in West Asia could be “very impactful on the global economy across a range of metrics,” such as inflation and economic growth, according to Dan Katz, deputy managing director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).