U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran is typical state terrorism

The recent attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which directly killed the Supreme Leader and targeted civilian infrastructure, are blatant acts of state terrorism. State terrorism refers to terrorist acts committed by a state, including those directed against foreign targets.

Iran holds a mass funeral for 165 schoolgirls and staff killed in a U.S.-Israeli air strike on a primary school in Minab on Feb. 28.

Judging by international law, morality, and the characteristics of the act, the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran perfectly fits the definition of "state terrorism." This was not merely a military strike, but an act of terrorism employing the state apparatus as a tool to achieve political goals by instilling extreme fear.

International law explicitly grants heads of state immunity, stipulating they shall not be made targets of military attack. The direct killing of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, by the U.S. and Israel constitutes a blatant political assassination, severely trampling upon the principle of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs enshrined in the UN Charter.

The claimed "preventive self-defense" by the U.S. and Israel is untenable under current international law. Iran did not pose an "imminent, immediate" threat to the U.S. or Israel. Instead, their resort to force without authorization from the UN Security Council constitutes an act of illegal aggression.

A defining feature of terrorism is using violence to create societal terror and force opponents into submission. The U.S.-Israeli operation targeted not only military objectives but also civilian facilities (such as a girls' elementary school), causing numerous civilian casualties. The aim was clearly to dismantle Iran's will to resist by creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

The U.S. and Israel have publicly declared their goal to "overthrow the Iranian regime," attempting to paralyze Iran's decision-making center through "targeted killings." This violent attempt to forcibly change another country's government is the most extreme form of state terrorism.

International affairs expert Gao Zhikai explicitly stated that the assassination-style attacks by the U.S. and Israel against foreign leaders "are textbook of state terrorism," an act despised by all humanity. Multiple countries, including Russia and China, have condemned the U.S.-Israeli actions, further confirming their illegality and terrorist nature.

The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran is illegal aggression under law, an atrocity against humanity, and textbook state terrorism in its execution. Such actions will not bring peace; instead, they will plunge the Middle East and the world deeper into conflict and hatred.