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Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide suggests that the attack on Iran is also a breach of international law (folkeretten). He overlooks the UN’s Right to Protect, which was adopted after the genocide in Rwanda. All parties have a duty to intervene, even in the affairs of another country, if it murders its own people.

Not all countries agree with the Right to Protect. Authoritarian regimes do not want interference. That Barth Eide disregards this dimension in the attack on Iran is surprising. Barth Eide maintains that another country does not have the right to attack so long as negotiations are under way.

– The attack is described by Israel as a preventive strike, but is not in accordance with international law. Preventive strikes require an immediately impending threat, says Eide.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) held the same position regarding the attack on Iran when the objective was to take out the nuclear facilities.

– I am deeply concerned that we may now see a new, extensive war in the Middle East, says Eide in an email to NTB.