Canada Must Condemn Israel’s Illegal Strike on Iran
June 19th, 2025
Justice For All Canada strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing, large-scale military assaults on Iran. In contrast to prevailing media narratives, anti-war experts have identified Israel’s strike as a preventive attack, distinct from preemptive self-defence, which is permitted under international law. Preventive strikes aim to stop a possible future threat, do not meet this threshold, and are prohibited under international law. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the right to self-defence applies only in response to an armed attack.
Israel’s US-supported strikes are also during a period of sustained violations and aggression campaigns across the region. In Gaza, Israel continues to carry out acts that meet the legal threshold of genocide. In the Occupied West Bank, Israeli Defence Forces are engaged in systematic land confiscation, home demolitions, and forced displacement. In Syria and Lebanon, Israel has breached international law by conducting repeated aerial bombardments without UN authorization.
This escalation echoes the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where unverified claims about weapons of mass destruction were used to justify a preventive war with catastrophic excess deaths of 655,000 Iraqis. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s report did not confirm that Iran poses an imminent nuclear weapons threat. While the report raised concerns about transparency, it explicitly stated there was no credible evidence of an active weapons program (GOV/2024/34, para. 79). Attacks on nuclear sites can also lead to radiation leaks, contamination of water sources, and long-term ecological damage, violating global commitments to nuclear safety and environmental protection.
As regional powers respond to rising tensions, Palestinian victims already under siege are left to absorb the worst of the violence. While people in Tehran and Tel Aviv reportedly have some agency to flee or take shelter, those in Gaza are trapped. From a legal standpoint, Israel’s strike on Iran also violates key international laws;
Justice For All Canada also highlights the enabling role of Western arms transfers. These strikes were carried out with billions in taxpayer-funded military support, including from governments like Canada that continue to approve weapons exports to Israel. Continued support without legal conditions erodes the rules-based international order and implicates donor states in unlawful conduct.
Recommendations:
These violations demand international accountability. Canada and other governments must affirm the principles of sovereignty and non-aggression. Failure to act will embolden further violations and deepen regional instability. Justice For All Canada demands the restoration of safety and dignity for all communities threatened by Israel’s illegal use of force.
Justice For All Canada strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing, large-scale military assaults on Iran. In contrast to prevailing media narratives, anti-war experts have identified Israel’s strike as a preventive attack, distinct from preemptive self-defence, which is permitted under international law. Preventive strikes aim to stop a possible future threat, do not meet this threshold, and are prohibited under international law. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, the right to self-defence applies only in response to an armed attack.
Israel’s US-supported strikes are also during a period of sustained violations and aggression campaigns across the region. In Gaza, Israel continues to carry out acts that meet the legal threshold of genocide. In the Occupied West Bank, Israeli Defence Forces are engaged in systematic land confiscation, home demolitions, and forced displacement. In Syria and Lebanon, Israel has breached international law by conducting repeated aerial bombardments without UN authorization.
This escalation echoes the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where unverified claims about weapons of mass destruction were used to justify a preventive war with catastrophic excess deaths of 655,000 Iraqis. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s report did not confirm that Iran poses an imminent nuclear weapons threat. While the report raised concerns about transparency, it explicitly stated there was no credible evidence of an active weapons program (GOV/2024/34, para. 79). Attacks on nuclear sites can also lead to radiation leaks, contamination of water sources, and long-term ecological damage, violating global commitments to nuclear safety and environmental protection.
As regional powers respond to rising tensions, Palestinian victims already under siege are left to absorb the worst of the violence. While people in Tehran and Tel Aviv reportedly have some agency to flee or take shelter, those in Gaza are trapped. From a legal standpoint, Israel’s strike on Iran also violates key international laws;
- Under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, the crime of aggression includes any use of armed force by one state against another that breaches the UN Charter. Carrying out military attacks without Security Council authorization or evidence of an armed attack meets this definition.
- Israel breached Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, or political independence of another state. While Israel has framed its actions as preemptive self-defence, there was no evidence of an imminent attack from Iran. In the absence of imminence, such a strike constitutes a preventive attack, which holds no legal weight under international law.
- The Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, as disproportionate harm was caused to civilians. Under Article 8 of the Rome Statute, such conduct may constitute war crimes.
Justice For All Canada also highlights the enabling role of Western arms transfers. These strikes were carried out with billions in taxpayer-funded military support, including from governments like Canada that continue to approve weapons exports to Israel. Continued support without legal conditions erodes the rules-based international order and implicates donor states in unlawful conduct.
Recommendations:
- The Canadian government must immediately halt all arms exports to Israel, and prohibit the transfer of weapons and military technology to any state violating international laws.
- We call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Iran, and across the region.
- We urge Canada to support international mechanisms that hold Israel accountable under international law. If the UN Security Council fails to act, Canada must work through the UN General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace resolution.
These violations demand international accountability. Canada and other governments must affirm the principles of sovereignty and non-aggression. Failure to act will embolden further violations and deepen regional instability. Justice For All Canada demands the restoration of safety and dignity for all communities threatened by Israel’s illegal use of force.