Trump ‘recklessly’ started war in support of Israel, think tank says
DAWN, a US-based group founded by slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which promotes democracy and the rule of law in the Middle East, has said that Trump’s decision to attack Iran is illegal and betrays his promise to keep the US out of new wars.
“Trump’s unprovoked and unauthorised attacks on Iran not only violate international law but the US Constitution, which grants only Congress the right to declare war,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s executive director.
“Trump has recklessly launched a war that harms American interests in service of Israeli demands, and broken his promise to the American people to put America first.”
CAIR, AIPAC react to US strikes on Iran
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US Muslim rights group, has said the US attack on Iran is an “illegal and unjustified” act of war that comes under pressure from the “out-of-control” Israeli government, and despite the longstanding conclusion of US intelligence that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon.
The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the best-known pro-Israel group in the US, praised the strikes ordered by Trump and said that the US “must now work with our allies to protect our troops and regional interests against Iranian attacks”.
Iran’s Araghchi says ‘outrageous’ US attack will have ‘everlasting consequences’
In his first public remarks after the US strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused Washington of breaching international law.
“The United States, a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has committed a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful nuclear installations,” Araghchi said in a social media post.
“The events this morning are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences. Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.”
He added that Iran “reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people”.
