Arab states in the Persian Gulf region hosting permanent US military bases no longer meet the legal definition of fully sovereign nations and therefore have no standing to object to Iran’s right to defend itself against American aggression, says a lawyer.

Reza Nasri, an international lawyer and foreign policy analyst, citing black-letter international law, in a post on X, said countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan have effectively surrendered a core attribute of statehood: the exclusive capacity to enter relations with other states.

Nasri based his argument on Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, which defines a sovereign state by four cumulative criteria: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and — crucially — “the capacity to enter into relations with other States.”

Drawing on landmark international arbitrations such as the Island of Palmas case (1928) and the Lotus case (1927), Nasri emphasized that this capacity requires exclusive and independent authority over territory and external affairs, free from subordination to any other external power.

According to Nasri, the permanent presence of US military bases under Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) systematically strips host Arab states of that exclusivity.

These agreements typically grant US forces extraterritorial immunity, exclusive operational command, and control over significant areas of sovereign territory.

“Local courts cannot prosecute US personnel,” Nasri noted. “Local legislatures cannot inspect bases. Host governments cannot unilaterally order eviction without risking severe economic or military retaliation.”

He further said that CIA operational centers embedded within or alongside these bases conduct intelligence, surveillance, rendition, and lethal activities beyond any effective Arab oversight.

“A state that cannot control who bears arms on its soil, who conducts intelligence operations, or who decides when foreign forces depart has, by definition, surrendered the exclusivity of authority required by Montevideo,” Nasri stated.

The analyst further remarked that these states have become, in legal terms, “semi-sovereign protectorates, leased territory, or modern vassals in all but name.”

Having voluntarily or under duress forsaken the fourth Montevideo criterion, they cannot invoke the full protections of sovereign equality under the UN Charter (Article 2(1)) or the principle of non-intervention (Article 2(7)) — particularly against the very power whose bases they host, he asserted.

Nasri asserted that Arab host states lack standing to object when Iran exercises its inherent right of self-defense against American aggression emanating from bases on Arab soil.

“Symbols of statehood such as flags, UN membership, and national anthems confer no genuine sovereignty when the fundamental attributes of independence have been surrendered,” he said. “Least of all the standing to object when Iran exercises its inherent right of self-defense against American aggression emanating from bases on Arab soil.”

His remarks come as tensions continue to rise in the Persian Gulf region over the complicity of some Arab states in the American-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

Iranian armed forces have in recent weeks carried out waves of retaliatory missile and drone strikes targeting American bases and assets across the region.

Iran had previously warned the regional countries against allowing their soil or airspace to be used for any act of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

Source: Press TV

Iran is reportedly considering its withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) after the United States and Israeli regime carried out attacks on the country’s nuclear sites.

A number of institutions in Iran, including the Parliament, are urgently reviewing the issue of the country’s withdrawal from the NPT, Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

It is becoming firmly established in Iran that there is no justification for remaining in the NPT, it added.

According to the NPT, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must provide conditions for the protection and support of Iran’s access to peaceful nuclear technology and its equipment, it noted.

However, it said, when IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi implicitly encourages the enemy to attack Iran’s facilities, and the US and Israel carry out such attacks without any hindrance or condemnation from the IAEA, there remains no justification for Iran to stay in the NPT.

The report emphasized that withdrawal from the NPT does not mean moving towards nuclear weapons; rather, it is about “preventing the continuation of spying by the US and Israel under the guise of IAEA inspectors.”

In a statement released on Friday, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant had been struck by a projectile, marking the third attack on the facility.

The AEOI added that the projectile hit the plant earlier in that day, saying initial reports indicated that the incident caused no human, financial, or technical damage.

The US and Israel also targeted the Khondab heavy water complex in the central Iranian city of Arak on Friday for the second time after they attacked the complex during the 12-day war last June.

 Also on Friday, they carried out a strike against a yellowcake production facility in the city of Ardakan in the central province of Yazd.

Iran has repeatedly emphasized that targeting peaceful nuclear facilities constituted a clear violation of international regulations and obligations regarding the immunity of such sites from military attacks.

Source: Press TV

Iran’s military is closely monitoring US forces across the region, the senior spokesman for Iran’s Armed Forces said on Thursday, asserting that the American military structure in West Asia has “collapsed in the shortest possible time.”

In a wide-ranging interview broadcast on national television, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi expressed strong criticism of US military adventurism in the region, while highlighting the Iranian response to ongoing aggression against the country.

He said that US personnel are now forced to abandon certain military bases and take refuge in civilian hotels, a move that he condemned as an attempt by the US to use civilian structures for military cover.

“The Americans, who once relied on their military bases to establish a presence, are now hiding in hotels and relying on the civilian areas of our region as a protective shield,” Shekarchi said.

“This marks a humiliating retreat and an admission of their inability to defend themselves.”

He said that the American forces are no longer able to sustain a military presence in several regions of West Asia, citing the destruction of key US bases.

“We have dismantled 17 US bases in the region, and they have failed to protect their forces or their installations,” Shekarchi stated, adding that the failure of US military plans is a significant blow to American credibility.

The spokesman further discussed Iran’s evolving defense strategy, stating that the 12-day war in June had catalyzed a major shift in the country’s military doctrine.

“Following the 12-day war, we changed our defensive doctrine to an offensive one,” Shekarchi said.

“This does not mean we are waging aggression against others, as the US does, but rather that any state that initiates aggression against us will be struck until it is destroyed. We will not relent until we have achieved victory and punished the aggressors.”

He clarified that Iran’s new offensive posture is defensive in nature, aimed at safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and deterring foreign intervention.

“Our goal is to continue the fight until the enemy is punished, and we can remove the shadow of war from the Islamic Republic forever,” Shekarchi explained.

The general also emphasized that Iran’s military doctrine is strictly focused on responding to aggression and that Tehran does not seek to engage in unnecessary conflict.

However, he stressed that Iran’s resolve would not falter in the face of continued foreign interference. “If they attack us, we will retaliate with everything we have,” he stated.

Despite the ongoing US-Israeli terrorist war, Shekarchi made it clear that even if the hostilities were to cease, Iran’s conditions for peace would have to be met.

He referenced the conditions laid out by the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, asserting that these conditions are non-negotiable.

“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to the way it was before,” Shekarchi declared. “We have set four conditions, and until they are met, we will not leave the Americans alone.”

He added that Iran’s security in the region would not be compromised, and that any foreign forces operating near Iranian borders would be targeted.

“The Americans have lost their grip on the region, and their F-35 fighter jets will no longer be safe,” he warned.

“Any base that hosts US forces in the region will be a target for us. We are fully prepared to respond wherever the threat originates.”

Shekarchi also shared grim figures regarding the toll the war has taken on US and Israeli forces.

He confirmed reports of heavy casualties among American personnel, estimating that between 600 and 800 US soldiers have been killed, with nearly 5,000 others wounded.

In addition, the general cited sources within Israel, who said that 1,321 Israeli soldiers have been killed in retaliatory strikes from Iran.

He noted that these numbers were likely understated by the Israeli regime, which has downplayed its losses in the war.

“In the first few days of the war, we targeted a hotel where American soldiers were hiding, and 160 American personnel were either killed or wounded,” Shekarchi stated.

“This was just one of many strikes that have taken place, and the casualties on both sides continue to mount.”

The general also pointed to the significant damage inflicted on Israeli infrastructure, noting that key military and industrial targets have been struck, resulting in extensive damage to Israel’s military capabilities.

“Israeli defense systems, including their air defense and military centers, have been completely destroyed,” Shekarchi said. “Even their most advanced facilities have been targeted, and the impact has been devastating.”

Iran’s strategy in the war

The military spokesman emphasized that Tehran is determined to maintain control of the situation in the region. “We have always maintained the initiative in this war,” Shekarchi said.

“We have not been on the defensive; we have been on the offensive from the beginning, and we will continue to lead the conflict until we achieve our objectives.”

He highlighted that the Iranian military had deployed a range of advanced technologies and capabilities in its retaliation, including cutting-edge air defense systems that have successfully targeted US F-35 fighter jets.

“Our capabilities are growing stronger by the day, and we are constantly improving our military systems to ensure that we can meet any challenge,” Shekarchi said.

Addressing the regional countries that have been affected by the war, Shekarchi urged them to take a stand against the US and Israeli forces.

“We call on the Muslim nations of the region to stop providing shelter to US forces,” he said.

“We respect the sovereignty of all countries, and we do not seek to impose our will on anyone. However, if you allow foreign forces to use your land and airspace for military operations against Iran, you will bear the consequences.”

The general also reiterated that Iran’s military actions are aimed at defending its sovereignty and ensuring the security of the region, not at attacking innocent civilians.

“The land and airspace of the Muslim world are sacred to us, and we do not seek to harm anyone. However, if foreign forces use these lands to attack us, we will retaliate accordingly,” Shekarchi said.

US strategy and NATO’s reluctance

In his analysis of the US strategy, Shekarchi pointed out that the US is seeking a way to exit the war with its reputation intact.

“The U is trying to exit the war with honor, but it is clear that they have already failed in their objectives,” he said.

“The longer they remain, the weaker they become, and the more they risk further damage to their military and political standing.”

He also noted that even NATO allies have refused to join the US in the war. “NATO members have declined to support the US in this war,” Shekarchi said.

“They understand that engaging in this conflict would only bring more instability and harm to their own nations.”

Despite the heavy toll the war has taken on US and Israeli forces, Shekarchi emphasized that the Iranian economy remains resilient.

“Even in the face of the most intense military pressure, our economy has held up,” he said. “We have faced challenges, but our resolve has only strengthened. The Iranian people are united, and they will not be broken.”

He pointed out that the US is facing significant economic costs as a result of the war, and that these costs would continue to mount as the conflict drags on.

“The world is beginning to see that the US is no longer the dominant power it once was,” Shekarchi said.

“We are confident that in the long run, the global community will shift its stance on the U.S. and its aggressive policies.”

As the war continues, Shekarchi emphasized Iran’s determination to press on until its goals are achieved.

“The US and Israel are mistaken if they think we will back down,” he warned. “Our resolve is stronger than ever, and we will continue to fight until we achieve our objectives.”

He reiterated Iran’s commitment to defending its sovereignty and ensuring the security of the region.

“We will not stop until the American and Israeli forces are removed from the region, and until our conditions are met,” Shekarchi said.

Source: Press TV