Published February 28,2026
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Saturday's attacks on Iran by Israel and the US are clear violations of international law, according to a prominent expert on the Middle Eastern country.
"This is a deliberate war that violates international law and is also illegal under US law," Ali Vaez, Iran project manager at the International Crisis Group, told Der Spiegel magazine.
US President Donald Trump had neither justified nor authorized the operation before the US Congress, Vaez noted.
The Israeli military said forces carried out coordinated strikes on multiple locations in Tehran targeting senior members of Iran's leadership.
The sites were described as gathering points for high-ranking political and security officials.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have stated that "the goal is regime change," Vaez said.
He also warned of a rapid escalation. Iran has been preparing since the 12-day war last summer and is ready to "strike back massively and hard," he told Der Spiegel magazine.
"This could escalate very quickly and lead to a regional conflagration." While military successes for the US and Israel are "certainly possible," both countries have shown in the past that they "cannot translate these into long-term strategic gains," Vaez argued.
In his assessment, the conflict could drag on for days or even weeks, as Iranian security forces are unlikely to lay down their weapons.
Furthermore, the US has proven itself an unreliable negotiating partner in the past, which is why Iranian forces can hardly rely on promises from Washington, Vaez said.
A collapse of Iran as a state could trigger radicalization, new waves of refugees and instability extending as far as Europe, the expert warned.
