U.S. Launches Attacks on Iran: Avoid Escalation of Conflict by Any Means / Concerns Raised over Unrestrained Use of Force

Editorial

16:17 JST, March 2, 2026

The United States and Israel have launched attacks on Iran and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The situation in the Middle East has entered an extremely critical new phase.

Iran has launched counterattacks. Concerns are being raised that a chain of retaliation could drag the conflict into a quagmire. The impact on the global economy, including energy supplies, is tremendous. All countries involved must exercise restraint. The United States, in particular, should strive to bring the situation under control promptly.

Disregarding international law again?

U.S. and Israeli forces carried out airstrikes on targets, including Khamenei’s office in central Tehran. Military facilities in western and central Iran were also among the targets.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s elite military force, said it conducted missile and drone attacks in retaliation. It attacked U.S. military bases and airports in Bahrain and Kuwait, among other targets, while also striking back at Israel.

In January, the United States launched a preemptive attack on Venezuela, overthrowing the anti-U.S. administration of President Nicolas Maduro. It is impossible not to feel astonishment and concern that a decapitation operation, which is aimed at removing disagreeable national leaders through military action, has been also carried out against Iran, a major Middle Eastern power.

Iran differs from Venezuela in both national scale and circumstances. There is no guarantee that the situation will unfold as the United States expects.

In a speech, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to “defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime.” He said the objective of the military action is to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon.

However, the Trump administration had boasted that a military operation successfully “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities through airstrikes in June last year. If the Iranian threat resurfaced in just eight months, that contradicts Trump’s explanation given at that time.

In the first place, the U.N. Charter prohibits the use of force in principle. It only permits the use of force in the exceptional cases of military actions based on U.N. Security Council resolutions or a member state exercising its right to self-defense.

Trump did not seek approval for the U.S. attacks in June nor this time from either the United Nations or the U.S. Congress. Furthermore, there have reportedly been many civilian casualties. Attacks that potentially violate international law cannot be supported.

Meanwhile, Iran cannot escape blame for its long-standing, opaque nuclear development program. While denying any intention of nuclear armament, the country has itself escalated tensions by continuing to produce highly enriched uranium that can be diverted for nuclear weapons.

Regime should be chosen by people

The United States launched the latest offensive on Iran while high-level talks demanding Tehran abandon its nuclear program were underway. Suspicion cannot be dispelled that the diplomatic negotiations were merely a tactic to buy time to concentrate military forces, including aircraft carrier strike groups, in preparation for the attacks.

If the objective was to halt Iran’s nuclear development, the United States should have involved the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations to pursue a resolution.

Iran’s current leadership system was established following the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the pro-American monarchy. As Khamenei had final say on Iran’s domestic and foreign affairs for nearly 37 years, chaos from the sudden power vacuum is unavoidable.

The leadership system based on Islamic governance has now been forced to the brink of survival. It is necessary to closely monitor whether a new supreme leader will be chosen or whether the system will weaken and plunge the country into civil strife.

In the latest offensive, Trump urged Iranians to “take over your government.” Protests mainly demanding Khamenei step down had spread across Iran amid growing frustration over rising prices and other issues.

However, the kind of leadership system a country chooses is a matter of internal sovereignty. Attempting a regime change through military action is nothing less than an infringement of sovereignty.

Amid low approval ratings, Trump appears eager to secure diplomatic achievements toward the midterm elections in November. Yet he apparently has not outlined a future strategy if the regime collapses, so there is no guarantee a pro-American government will be launched in Iran.

Trump has strongly criticized U.S. military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, which caused heavy financial burdens and human sacrifice on the U.S. side. However, if the conflict with Iran falls into a quagmire, he risks losing backing from his support base, which dislikes U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

How can energy be protected?

The Strait of Hormuz, located south of Iran, is a vital artery transporting crude oil and liquefied natural gas to consumer countries including Japan. Because Japan relies on the Middle East for 90% of its crude oil imports, stability in this region is critically important.

Japanese shipping companies have suspended tanker operations near the strait, citing increased risk. If crude oil prices rise, that would deal a blow to the global economy. Japan needs to press the United States to make urgent efforts to calm the situation.

 (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 2, 2026)