Supporting ‘illegal aggression’ against Iran ‘the worst thing’ Australia could do, international law experts say

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Tom McIlroy Political editorMarch 1, 2026 at 08:26 AM

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International law experts are criticizing Australia's support for recent attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. The Australian government, led by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, justified its support by citing Iran's nuclear ambitions and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) involvement in attacks in Australia. However, experts like Professor Ben Saul argue that the attacks violate international law and the UN charter, as domestic criminal acts do not justify military self-defense. Professor Donald Rothwell also stated there is no UN basis for the attacks. These experts suggest Australia should instead encourage the US to respect international law, arguing that supporting such actions erodes the international legal framework.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Donald Rothwell 50% Donald Trump 50% Benjamin Netanyahu 50% Anthony Albanese 60% UN ×260% Ben Saul ×270% Israel 70% United States ×275% Penny Wong ×280% Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ×385% Iran ×1090% Australia ×795%

Keywords

international law 90% illegal aggression 80% iran 80% australia 70% use of force 70% un charter 60% irgc 50% self-defence 50% nuclear weapon 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Australia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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international law illegal aggression iran australia use of force un charter irgc self-defence nuclear weapon

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