Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot has acknowledged that the recent US and Israeli strike on Iran violated international law, while arguing that it was driven by global security concerns.
Speaking on RTBF's morning radio show La Première, Prévot said Belgium, as a staunch defender of international law, must recognise that Saturday's operation did not meet established legal standards.
At the same time, he pointed to the Iranian regime’s record of violent repression, which he said has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, stressing that international law is designed to safeguard people’s rights and freedoms.
Iran, he added, could hardly be described as a "model student" in that respect.
Prévot argued that principles must be weighed against geopolitical realities. Years of diplomatic efforts to curb Iran's ballistic and nuclear programmes have failed, he said, and action was deemed necessary to avert wider regional instability and global security risks.
Asked whether the strike could therefore be justified on security grounds, he answered yes, while emphasising that military intervention should remain a last resort when diplomatic avenues have been exhausted.
He called for urgent de-escalation, renewed respect for international law and a swift return to diplomacy.
