The day after completing my writing titled, The Iran-Israel Conflict; Possible US Involvement?, President Donald Trump approved an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. According to U.S.A. Today, Trump stated on June 21 on TruthSocial, “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow [Uranium Enrichment Plant]…All [B-2] planes are safely on their way home. The site is buried under a mountain.” Fordow was attacked again on June 23, this time by Israel, who hit the site with bunker-buster bombs. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told ABC News, “We are confident, yes, that Iran’s nuclear sites were completely and totally obliterated, as the president said in his address to the nation on Saturday night.” According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) chief, Rafael Grossi, “No one, including the I.A.E.A., is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow…Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred.” Iranian officials have not released official assessments on the damage. 

On the same day of the Israel attacks on Fordow, Iran attacked U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. On TruthSocial, Trump posted: “Iran has officially responded to our Obliteration of their Nuclear Facilities with a very weak response…There have been 14 missiles fired — 13 were knocked down, and 1 was ‘set free,’ because it was headed in a nonthreatening direction. I am pleased to report that NO Americans were harmed, and hardly any damage was done. Most importantly, they’ve gotten it all out of their ‘system’ and there will, hopefully, be no further HATE…Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.” On June 23, hours after the strike on the Al Udeid Air Base, Trump announced the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. On June 24, Iran confirmed the truce on state television and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the ceasefire in a public statement. 

Within a four-day period, multiple international attacks occurred. The reasoning for Israel’s initial attack and the United States’ following attack was fear of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. As stated in The Iran-Israel Conflict; Possible US Involvement?, fears of Iran developing a nuclear weapon have preceded this millennium. I was unable to find any ‘new’ evidence about Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon that influenced Israel to begin launching missiles at Iran. It is possible there is information in classified documents, but public information about Israel’s reasoning behind the Trump-named ‘12-day conflict’ is unavailable. 

Within a few hours of both states agreeing to the ceasefire, it was violated. According to MSN, Israel sounded sirens in Northern Israel “due to missile fire from Iran.” Both Iran and Israel launched attacks at each other before acknowledging the ceasefire, but an Israeli official told the Associated Press that two missiles were intercepted after the start of the ceasefire. Iran officials denied the violation and instead accused Israel of violating the agreement. Trump’s response was, “[Israel and Iran] don’t know what the f-ck they’re doing. I’m going to see if I can stop it.”

According to a C.N.N. poll, Trump’s decision to strike Iran was strongly disapproved of by United States citizens. 56% of individuals disapproved of the strikes, and 32% of participants strongly disapprove. U.S. representatives are split on the President’s decision, too. According to MSN, House Speaker Mike Johnson (L.A.-R), told reporters on June 23 that Trump “made an evaluation that the danger was imminent enough to take his authority as commander in chief.” Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.-D), stated Trump has “not presented any evidence to Congress that Iran posed an imminent threat that required immediate and offensive military action…The use of military force, which is offensive in nature, must be approved by the House and the Senate.” 

There is a high level of uncertainty in the conflict between Iran and Israel, and the United States’ involvement has only added to it. There is still limited information on why the attacks on Iran were conducted. Without viable information, the strike is against international law. In the United States, the sitting president needs Congressional approval for offensive military operations. Donald Trump has violated both international and domestic law to stop a nuclear weapon that never existed.

Israel and the U.S. have violated Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter. Article 2(4) states, “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, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.” Because Israel attacked preemptively, and an Iranian attack was not imminent, the fault falls on Israel for violating Iran’s statehood. The United States attacked in the same manner, violating Iranian statehood. Iran, then, had the right, under the U.N. Charter, to defend themselves in what ways they saw fit. However, for Iran’s self-defense to be considered legal under international law, Iran needed to report their method of self-defense to the U.N. Security Council (U.N. Charter Article 51). This was not done, meaning all members have committed illegal acts under U.N. law. 

The future of Iran-Israel stability is fragile. To help mitigate the process, the United States should not be brokering peace agreements. Israel is too close of an ally for the U.S. to be impartial, and now the Pentagon has bombed the other party. Qatar should not be a broker, either. They are very close allies to the U.S., and after Iran bombed their country — where the Al Udeid Air Base is located — it will be difficult for impartiality. China is the best contender to broker a peace agreement between the two countries. China has remained a very neutral state in international affairs, especially regarding the Middle East. Additionally, they have alliances with both Israel and Iran. It is in China’s best interest to encourage an unbiased peace agreement. Because the U.S. President is valuing alliances over stability, it is allowing China to front itself as a peacemaker. China is already developing itself in the Middle East, and the Iran-Israel conflict may be the tipping point of power.