From the very inception of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the destruction of Israel, describing it as a “cancerous tumor” that must be removed from the map. This ideological stance not only shaped the foundation of Iran’s foreign policy but also paved the way for decades of regional instability, violence, and proxy conflicts.

The current Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has continued this doctrine for more than three decades, expanding it with more institutionalized and militarized instruments. Iran has founded, armed, and funded numerous proxy groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Palestine, the Houthis in Yemen, and militias in Syria and Iraq. These proxies have served as tools in Iran’s asymmetric war against Israel and its Western allies. The terrorist atrocity of October 7, 2023, against Israel, carried out by Hamas, must be seen in this context—a calculated act of aggression that, according to international intelligence assessments, was supported logistically and militarily by Iran.

Simultaneously, Iran has escalated its nuclear program, enriching uranium up to 60%—a level far beyond peaceful energy purposes and alarmingly close to weapons-grade capability. Article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) guarantees the right to peaceful nuclear energy but only under conditions of transparency and international supervision—both of which Iran has systematically violated.

Under these conditions, Israel—and any other state facing existential threats—retains the inherent right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter. No country can be expected to remain passive in the face of repeated calls and preparations for its annihilation.

Today, the war has reached inside Iran’s borders, with military and intelligence installations being targeted. However, this cannot be interpreted as the start of a new conflict. It is, rather, the continuation of a war that the Islamic Republic has imposed on the region and the world for over four decades. A regime that openly brands itself as the leader of the “Axis of Resistance” must now confront the consequences of its own actions.

It is crucial to note that the Islamic Republic cannot invoke international law while systematically violating its core tenets for nearly 45 years. Iran has repeatedly breached Article 2 of the UN Charter (prohibiting the threat or use of force), violated state sovereignty, meddled in the internal affairs of other nations, and disregarded basic principles of international humanitarian law.

In this context, the diverse peoples of Iran—including Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs, Turks, and dissenting Persians—have the right to use this historic moment to pursue self-determination. This right is enshrined in Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which affirms that “all peoples have the right of self-determination.”

The Islamic Republic, with its centralized authoritarian structure, is a common enemy of Iran’s oppressed nations, of women and youth, of Israel, and of the democratic world. Moreover, by supplying drones and direct military support to Russia in its war against Ukraine, Iran has become a destabilizing force beyond the Middle East—posing a threat to European and global security.

Therefore, the path to lasting peace and stability in the region does not lie in appeasing the Iranian regime, but in firmly supporting democratic movements inside Iran, empowering the people’s demand for a new, pluralistic, and accountable political order.