By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister of International Relations Ronald Lamola says Israel’s attacks on Iran appears not to be substantiated by any United Nations convention on self-defence.
Israel had long threatened such an attack, and successive American administrations sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran’s dispersed and hardened nuclear program.
A barrage of Israeli airstrikes and drones hit Iranian nuclear facilities as well as military targets in the early hours of Friday morning, followed by subsequent waves in an operation that the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat”.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Iran’s top three military chiefs, as well as other commanders, had been killed – a serious blow to the Iranian regime, as these men would have been key in planning Iran’s response.
Lamola expressed deep concern over reports of civilian casualties alongside military personnel.
“These actions raise serious concerns under international law, including the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the protection of civilians enshrined in the UN Charter and international humanitarian law, said Lamola.
“South Africa notes with particular concern the implications for nuclear safety and security arising from attacks in the vicinity of nuclear facilities. We recall the firm stance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) General Conference, reflected in resolutions such as GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, against armed attacks on peaceful nuclear installations as violations of the UN (United Nations) Charter and international law.”
South Africa emphasized that anticipatory self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter requires clear evidence of an imminent armed attack, which Lamola said does not appear substantiated in this instance.
South Africa has extended its “sincere condolences” to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the families of all victims.
“We reiterate our unwavering commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes. South Africa urges maximum restraint by all parties and calls for the urgent intensification of diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and promote stability in the Middle East,” said Lamola.
Iran had launched retaliatory attacks on Israel, with rapid airstrikes and explosions recorded in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country’s two largest cities.
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at Iran’s request. In a letter to the council, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the killing of its officials and scientists “state terrorism” and affirmed his country’s right to self-defense.
The death toll from Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel rose to three, with 172 others injured, according to Israeli media reports.
Some 300 Israelis in Greater Tel Aviv were evacuated after their homes were damaged, while 100 Israelis were evacuated in the municipality of Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv.