Ben Saul says ‘rolling over’ after Israel and US attack is counterproductive for middle powers because it undermines rules-based order

The attack on Iran was “clearly a violation of the ban on the use of force under the UN charter and international law, which is the linchpin of the international order since 1945,” he told Guardian Australia on Sunday.

“Domestic criminal acts like the IRGC’s interference here, of course, are not armed attacks which would somehow justify military self-defence against Iran.

“You may not like Iran, you may not like what it does, but that doesn’t justify an aggressive armed attack on Iran.”