Iranian Foreign Minister Condemns Erosion of International Law at Tehran Dialogue Forum
Araghchi Warns International Law Is “Under Full-Scale Assault”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that the U.S. and its allies are undermining international law and replacing it with a “force-based order.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi warned that the U.S. and its allies are undermining international law and replacing it with a “force-based order.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi opened a high-level international conference in Tehran on Sunday by declaring that “international law is under a full-scale assault” driven by revisionist powers, particularly the United States and its allies.
Speaking at the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) during the conference titled “International Law Under Assault, Aggression, and Self-Defense,” Araghchi said the world is witnessing “unprecedented and dangerous” erosion of the post-World War II legal order. He accused Western states of replacing a law-based system with what he described as a politicized “rules-based order” designed to secure their own interests.
Araghchi argued that Washington has now moved beyond even that framework, pushing toward what he called a “force-based international order,” rooted in coercion, militarism, and the abandonment of universal legal norms. He pointed to soaring global military spending, growing geopolitical fragmentation, and widespread violations of sovereignty as symptoms of this shift.
The foreign minister sharply criticized the United States, saying its current doctrine of “peace through strength” is in practice a pursuit of “hegemony through brute force.” He charged that recent American actions, including support for Israeli military operations and attacks on Iranian territory, reflect a return to the “law of the jungle.”
Addressing the June 13 Israeli strike on Iranian soil, which he said occurred under U.S. direction and targeted civilian areas and peaceful nuclear facilities, Araghchi condemned the attack as a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international non-proliferation norms. He said Iran’s military response was conducted strictly under Article 51 of the UN Charter and adhered to principles of necessity, proportionality, and distinction.
Araghchi contrasted Iran’s conduct with that of Israel, accusing the regime of “genocide, ethnic cleansing, and systematic violations of international humanitarian law” across West Asia. He said the Israeli military had attacked seven countries in the past two years and continues to pursue expansionist ambitions under the protection of the United States and Europe.
Despite describing international law as embattled, Araghchi insisted it remains alive, provided states work collectively to defend it. He urged a global return to true multilateralism, equality among nations, and strict rejection of the use of force. The world, he said, now faces a defining choice between “an order rooted in domination and militarism” and “a universal legal order based on dialogue, equality, and the UN Charter.”
He reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to a law-based global system and called for a regional security approach built on inclusivity, cooperation, and “sustainable trust.” Iran, he said, views the security of its neighbors as integral to its own.
The one-day conference brought together scholars, diplomats, and international law experts from across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe to examine the growing challenges facing the global legal system and the implications of rising militarization and geopolitical confrontation.