The operation, carried out without congressional approval and in defiance of international law—particularly the NPT—has been widely characterized as reckless, unconstitutional, and a grave threat to regional and global security.
In Washington, the backlash has been swift and loud. Members of Congress, public figures, and activists denounced the move.
Congresswoman Norma Torres accused Donald Trump of launching an illegal strike that endangered American lives, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the bombing a “catastrophic decision” that violated the War Powers Act and the Constitution. Former State Department spokesman Ned Price described Trump’s two-week window for diplomacy as nothing but a "deceitful ploy."
Actor Wendell Pierce bluntly stated, “Israel has now dragged the U.S. into a war with Iran,” warning that thousands of Americans could die due to this unconstitutional act. Mehdi Hasan, a prominent journalist, called the strike “a war crime and a blatant violation” of both the U.N. Charter and the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Military analyst and former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter noted that the strike failed to achieve its presumed technical objectives: “Fordow is undamaged. IR6 and IR8 centrifuges remain intact. Sensitive equipment had already been relocated to secure sites.”
Congressman Ralph Nader declared that Trump’s actions would “undoubtedly lead to the death of many Americans” and must be condemned in the strongest terms. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, invoking Trump’s broken promise of Middle East peace, urged for a classified congressional briefing and held the former president fully accountable for the fallout.
On the global stage, the condemnation was no less forceful.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the situation risks spiraling out of control, potentially with “catastrophic consequences” for civilians worldwide. He stressed that “there is no military solution—only diplomacy can avert further escalation.”
In the Arab world, alarm spread rapidly. Saudi Arabia condemned the U.S. breach of Iranian sovereignty and called for urgent international de-escalation efforts. Oman, which previously hosted nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, labeled the strikes “a dangerous violation of international law and the U.N. Charter,” and reiterated Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear development.
Iraq denounced the attacks as a “serious threat to regional peace and stability.” Government spokesperson Bassem Al-Awadi emphasized the necessity of restraint and urged all parties to return to dialogue. Qatar expressed similar regret, warning of “disastrous consequences” if diplomacy is not urgently restored.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry called the strikes a clear breach of international law and reaffirmed Iran’s right to self-defense under the U.N. Charter. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Ansarullah movement declared the airstrikes “a declaration of war” and warned of military retaliation, particularly against U.S. assets in the Red Sea. Yemen’s official government also echoed the condemnation, linking the assault to America’s unreserved support for Israel.
Palestinian resistance groups including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Mujahideen Movement unanimously denounced the strikes as U.S.-backed aggression aimed at suppressing Iran’s sovereignty and intimidating regional powers. They emphasized that the attack served only to escalate tensions and solidify perceptions of the U.S. as a primary aggressor in the Middle East.
Outside the region, Latin American voices also joined the chorus of condemnation. Bolivian President Luis Arce described the U.S. actions as “treacherous” and warned that they threaten global peace and undermine the principles of international law.
NOURNEWS