International Law Review

International Law Review

The 12-Day War and the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Aid or Assistance in the Commission of Aggression: An Analysis under Article 14 of the 2011 Draft Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations

Document Type : academic

Authors
1 Department of International Law, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of International Law, Faculty of Law, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22066/cilamag.2025.2070209.2802
Abstract

Abstract
The contradiction between the Israeli regime’s political exploitation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors’ Resolution GOV/2025/38 to justify its military aggression against Iran, and the subsequent statements by the Agency’s Director General which undermined the very basis of this justification, places the organization in a complex legal position. This situation raises the question, within the framework of international responsibility law, of whether the IAEA has effectively facilitated the Israeli regime’s commission of the act of aggression. Aiming to answer this question, this article analyzes the IAEA’s responsibility under Article 14 of the 2011 Draft Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations (DARIO). The hypothesis is that the Agency’s responsibility is established due to its dual assistance (political and operational), its knowledge of the circumstances, and the violation of its own inherent obligations. The research is conducted using a qualitative method with a legal-doctrinal analysis approach. The findings indicate that by fulfilling the tripartite conditions of Article 14, the IAEA’s international responsibility for facilitating military aggression can be established.
Keywords
Subjects

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