Trump’s admission of directing June Iran attack strengthens Tehran’s intl. legal case: Fmr. MP

By Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

US President Donald Trump’s recent admission of his direct involvement in Israel’s war of aggression against Iran in June has opened a clearer path for Tehran to pursue its legal case more assertively on the international stage, says a former lawmaker.

Shahriar Heydari, a former member of Iran's parliament, told the Press TV website in an interview that legal proceedings against the US president are both “logical and lawful.”

He said the events leading up to the June 13 aggression against the Islamic Republic had already raised serious legal questions, given that the United States and Iran were then engaged in indirect talks aimed at finalizing issues related to the nuclear file.

Iranian and American negotiators were working with Omani mediation to “resolve disputes, misunderstandings, and problems,” yet, he noted, officials in Washington were simultaneously planning something different.

His comments follow Iranian judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei’s recent order to initiate legal action against the US president after he publicly claimed responsibility for the June aggression.

"The US president once again explicitly confessed to committing crimes against Iran and the Iranian people,” he said, emphasizing that such an admission carries “significant consequences” under international law.

He instructed the attorney general to prepare the necessary measures for pursuing the matter in both domestic and international courts.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also wrote a formal letter to the UN Security Council, citing Trump’s remarks as clear evidence of US direction and control over Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.

He also reminded the world body of earlier correspondence from June that documented Israeli-American “brazen acts of aggression.”

On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and more than 1,000 civilians, including women and children.

The aggression targeted several Iranian provinces, including nuclear facilities, in blatant violation of international law.

More than a week into the assault, the US also bombed three major Iranian nuclear sites, all safeguarded under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in flagrant breach of the UN Charter.

US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, initially denied any direct US role in the June 13 aggression, but Trump spilled the beans earlier this month by admitting he was "in charge" of it.

“Israel attacked first. That attack was very, very powerful. I was very much in charge of that,” the US president said at the White House on November 6.

Heydari said the talks preceding the June 13 assault were a deliberate “deception,” as Washington was simultaneously coordinating with Israel on plans to strike the Islamic Republic.

The purpose of that deception, he said, was to facilitate a joint operation against Iran.

“Naturally, when Israel carried out the attack, the United States fully supported it,” he remarked, describing Israel and the US as having “committed the very disgraceful and desperate act.”

Heydari noted that Trump has “repeatedly announced that he cooperated with Israel,” remarks that he believes Iran can use in filings before international bodies.

He said the judiciary is fully capable of evaluating damages, collecting evidence, and transmitting material to Iran’s diplomatic apparatus and relevant human rights organizations.

He also listed the international bodies Iran could approach, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, as well as various regional and global organizations where Iranholds membership.

The former lawmaker added that parliament can also play a pivotal role, noting that strong declarations of support from lawmakers would give Iran’s diplomatic and judicial efforts added international weight.

He said public statements by senior officials in both Washington and Tel Aviv regarding the June 13 aggression constitute powerful evidence that Iran has effectively used.

“The very fact that the United States and Israel have repeatedly stated that they struck targets inside Iran are valid documents proving Iran’s rightful claim,” he said.

Above all, he stressed the clear and irrefutable illegality of the attacks, which international legal experts have called blatant violations of international law.

“The attack by the Zionist regime and the US support and involvement are in no way justifiable and have no international legitimacy whatsoever,” he said.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir