Iran rebukes US direction on world order: A “force-based” doctrine

Shafaq News – Tehran (Updated at 22:55)

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States of driving a global shift toward a “force-based order,” warning that international law is under “direct attack” as powerful states move away from the post-war UN system.

Speaking at the international conference titled “International Law Under Attack: Aggression and Defense,” Araghchi argued that countries once expected to safeguard the international order have instead “turned against it,” creating an environment in which “war and violence become the rule, peace and coexistence the exception,” and military force assumes a central position in foreign policy.

Araghchi further charged that Washington is driving a shift from a rules-based system, asserting that the long-standing motto of “peace through strength” has become a vehicle for “coercive measures” enabling “open domination and the blatant use of military force.”

In reference to what he described as “a US manifesto of hegemony,” Araghchi said this approach turns a defense minister into a “minister of war,” brings nuclear testing back onto the agenda, and empowers a president who “claims to be a man of peace” to launch attacks “without justification.”

Turning to the June 13 Israeli strike on Iranian territory — which Tehran maintains occurred with full US support — the FM said the attack hit civilian nuclear sites and killed Iranian commanders inside their homes. He denounced the strike as “a clear violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the non-proliferation regime.”

He reasserted Iran’s position, maintaining that the country’s nuclear activities fall within the rights provided under Article IV of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows peaceful nuclear development, including enrichment, stressing that Tehran has “fully complied” with International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring and has acted within international law as a founding UN member.

Tehran’s strategic council chief Kamal Kharazi, speaking to reporters, later added that Iran would welcome any genuine shift in US President Donald Trump’s approach toward constructive, negotiation-based engagement, though he said Iran “has seen no indication” that such a change is underway.

Iranian officials have previously accused the US of obstructing diplomatic efforts, including indirect nuclear negotiations, and have described US military actions abroad as violations of international law and sovereignty. Tehran has also outlined a regional strategy centered on political and economic engagement, alongside repeated assertions that its nuclear program complies with international monitoring rules.