US-Israeli war on Iran is 'outside international law'

March 28, 2026·56 min·5 clips

The French ambassador declares the US-Israeli strikes on Iran illegal, with no justification under international law.

This episode features an extended interview with Nabil Hajlawi, the French ambassador to Oman, conducted against the backdrop of US and Israeli military strikes on Iran. The ambassador brings more than 25 years of diplomatic experience and a dual Tunisian-French background that informs his perspective on the Arab world. The ambassador opens by stating France's unequivocal position: the military operation is outside international law, with no Security Council resolution or security situation justifying it. He confirms that Omani-facilitated negotiations between Iran and the United States had been making progress, with Iran offering to dilute its stock of 60% highly enriched uranium. However, he cautions that the nuclear file was only one element, noting unresolved issues around dismantling enrichment capacity, restoring IAEA inspections, Iran's ballistic missile program, and its destabilization of the region through proxy militias. He provides historical context, noting that Iran's nuclear program was initially hidden and discovered in 2003, and that even after the 2015 JCPOA, Iran eventually exceeded its enrichment commitments after the US withdrawal. He describes the atmosphere in Muscat when the strikes occurred as one of clear disappointment and dismay, representing a collective failure to prevent war. On the Strait of Hormuz, the ambassador clarifies that the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean for partner reassurance, not for escort operations in the Gulf. France is instead working on a broader international coalition, including Asian nations like China, Japan, South Korea, and India, to guarantee freedom of navigation after a ceasefire. He emphasizes this coalition would follow a truce, not operate during active hostilities. Regarding civilian infrastructure, the ambassador states that targeting desalination plants, which Gulf states rely on for up to 90% of drinking water, is absolutely forbidden and those responsible must be held accountable. He notes that France is honoring existing defense agreements with Gulf partners in a purely defensive posture. On the question of regime change, the ambassador rejects it as illegitimate, arguing that sovereign peoples must determine their own governance. He draws parallels to Syria and Libya, where fragmentation led to more violence and militia proliferation, and argues fragmentation would not serve Israel's interests either. The ambassador discusses France's recognition of the Palestinian state alongside the UK, Canada, and Australia, and the New York Declaration rejecting territorial reduction of Gaza. He acknowledges the gap between diplomatic recognition and conditions on the ground but argues that recognition provides legal tools and international support that would not exist otherwise. On prospects for ending the conflict, the ambassador notes that President Macron has spoken directly with Iran's president and that France is among the few countries trusted enough to communicate bluntly with both sides. He suggests that the lack of clearly defined American war objectives, while complicating peace negotiations, could also allow the administration to construct a narrative of success and halt operations, as occurred after the June strikes. He warns that any ground operation would be a total game changer contradicting the administration's stated opposition to endless wars.

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