Iran just threatened to violate international law by attacking Israel. No one even points it out.

The New York Times reports:

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has issued an order for Iran to strike Israel directly, in retaliation for the killing in Tehran of Hamas’s leader, Ismail Haniyeh, according to three Iranian officials briefed on the order.

Mr. Khamenei gave the order at an emergency meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council on Wednesday morning, shortly after Iran announced that Mr. Haniyeh had been killed, said the three Iranian officials, including two members of the Revolutionary Guards. 

Mr. Khamenei, who has the last word on all state matters and is also the commander in chief of the armed forces, instructed military commanders from the Revolutionary Guards and the army to prepare plans for both an attack and a defense in the event that the war expands and Israel or the United States strike Iran, the officials said.

In his public statement about Mr. Haniyeh’s death, Mr. Khamenei signaled that Iran would retaliate directly, saying, “we see avenging his blood our duty,” because it happened on the territory of the Islamic Republic. He said Israel had set the stage for receiving “a severe punishment.”

A banner seen in Tehran shows a photo of Ismail Haniyeh amd says, in Hebrew, "Expect severe punishment."

I have not seen anyone even mention that there is no legal justification under international law for Iran to strike Israel, either as reprisal or as "punishment."

The UN Charter says "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." 

Reprisals are heavily restricted under international humanitarian law in any case and according to some, prohibited altogether. 

While not formal international law, a UN General Assembly resolution from 1970 states flatly that "States have a duty to refrain from acts of reprisal involving the use of force."

The planned Iranian attack is not self-defense but explicitly meant to be "punishment"  and vengeance. That is simply illegal. 

When international law is used as a club against Israel for imaginary or perceived infractions, yet is ignored whenever anyone else clearly violates it, the term "international law" loses all meaning. 

Anyone who accuses Israel of violating international law who suddenly becomes mute when a state threatens Israel with "punishment" and "avenging blood" clearly doesn't care about international law to begin with. 

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