Israel’s Preemptive Strike on Iran Was Legal. Period.
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by Channa Rifkin
Fire of Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot is seen following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
For decades, the Iranian regime has consistently and regularly threatened Israel’s very existence — vowing to wipe it off the map and attempting to murder Israelis across the globe. Israeli leaders and experts, most famously Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been warning that Iran’s nuclear program must not be allowed to reach fruition.
After neutering Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah, and the removal of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s dictatorship, Israel had a strategic window and the capability to launch a preemptive strike on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, claims Israel’s strike on Iranian nuclear facilities is against international law, but in the same breath, goes on to say that Iran has breached restrictions on uranium enrichment, and could now have the ability to develop nine nuclear weapons.
On the other hand, international law allows preemptive self-defense, but only under specific, strict conditions.
Here comes the question. Looking at these countering arguments, is Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program legal?
Short answer: yes.
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In the case of Israel defending itself against Iran, the necessary conditions under international law are fully satisfied to justify a lawful, preemptive strike.
When the media says that Israel’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and other Islamic Republic targets are against international law, they are feeding you false information based on a biased narrative.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is the one breaking international law by indiscriminately launching hundreds of suicide drones and ballistic missiles at Israeli civilians.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
