International law experts have condemned Australia for supporting what they describe as an illegal attack by Israel and the United States on Iran. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong endorsed the strikes, stating that Australia supports action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and threatening international peace and security.
University of Sydney professor and UN special rapporteur Ben Saul said the attack violated the UN Charter’s ban on the use of force, which underpins the international order since 1945. He argued that domestic criminal acts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including alleged orchestration of attacks in Australia, do not justify military self-defence against Iran.
Saul urged middle powers like Australia to raise the political cost for the US when it breaks international law, warning that supporting illegal aggression erodes the rules-based order. Australian National University professor Donald Rothwell added that there was no UN Security Council resolution authorising the intervention and no basis for self-defence under the UN Charter.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment on the legality of the strikes, deferring to the US and Israel. He cited Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile development as threats to global peace. The Greens’ David Shoebridge accused the government of outsourcing foreign policy to Washington and implicated the Pine Gap facility in targeting operations.
