More than 100 United States-based international law experts have warned that recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran may violate the United Nations Charter and could amount to "war crimes," according to an open letter published Thursday.
The signatories, which include prominent scholars such as Oona Hathaway, Harold Koh, Philip Alston and Kenneth Roth, said the military campaign that began on February 28 lacked legal justification under international law.
"Force against another state is only permitted in self-defense against an actual or imminent armed attack or where authorized by the UN Security Council," the letter states. "The Security Council did not authorize the attack. Iran did not attack Israel or the United States."
The experts said their concerns fall into four areas: the legality of the decision to go to war, the conduct of hostilities, public statements by senior officials, and what they described as the erosion of civilian protection safeguards within the U.S. government.
They pointed to reported strikes on civilian infrastructure, including a primary school in Minab where at least 175 people were killed, most of them children, as well as attacks on hospitals, water facilities and energy sites. "We are seriously concerned about strikes that have hit schools, health facilities, and homes," the letter said.
The signatories also raised concerns about rhetoric from U.S. officials, including comments attributed to Donald Trump suggesting potential strikes on Iran "just for fun," and statements from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicating the U.S. does not operate under what he called "stupid rules of engagement."
"Public statements by senior officials indicate an alarming disrespect for the rules of international humanitarian law," the letter said, warning that such remarks could undermine protections for civilians and combatants.
The scholars also noted the financial cost of the conflict, estimating it may be reaching up to $2 billion per day, and warned of broader consequences for the global legal order.
While the letter focuses primarily on U.S. actions, the authors said they remain concerned about "the risk of atrocities across the region" and stressed the need for consistent application of international law. They urged U.S. officials to "uphold the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and human rights law at all times" and to reaffirm the country's commitment to established legal norms.
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