Letter to the Working Group on the use of mercenaries
as a means of violation human rights and impending the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
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In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
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Dear Working Group,
I am writing to you with the utmost seriousness and full respect for your mandate to monitor and address the use of mercenaries in violation of international law. The Islamic Republic of Iran wishes to express its grave concern regarding the unprovoked act of military aggression committed by the Israeli regime on 13 June 2025. This attack, which took place deep inside Iranian territory, involved organized, foreign-backed operations and raises serious legal and security implications that fall directly within the scope of your mandate.
The events of 13 June bear particular relevance to your mandate: numerous operational elements of the Israeli attack were executed through organized mercenary networks, including the targeted assassinations of Iranian scientists, senior military officers, and civilians, coordinated bombings, and the remote operation of armed drones deep within Iranian territory. These acts clearly constitute mercenary activities as defined under international law, characterized by foreign individuals and groups undertaking hostile actions, for private gain or under the direction of a foreign state, with the specific intent to destabilize the territorial integrity of another state.
The human toll of this aggression is devastating: according to official estimates, the 13 June attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,000 individuals, including scientists, senior military officers, and a significant number of civilians. The deliberate and systematic nature of these killings further underscores their classification as mercenary operations under international law.
These acts represent a flagrant violation of multiple international legal instruments, most notably:
-- Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations, prohibiting the threat or use of force;
-- The International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries (1989);
-- Provisions of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law concerning the protection of civilian life and the prohibition of extrajudicial killings;
-- Relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1373 (2001), which obligates Member States to suppress support for terrorism and mercenary-related violence.
More alarmingly, the documented presence and involvement of mercenaries in these acts of aggression poses a direct challenge not only to Iran’s sovereignty but also to the credibility of the international legal order. These actors, operating with the protection or support of states, engage in deliberate campaigns of violence that undermine the right of peoples to self-determination, as well as the principles of non-intervention and sovereign equality.
In this context, the Islamic Republic of Iran respectfully urges the Working Group to:
- Undertake an urgent inquiry into the involvement of mercenaries in the 13 June 2025 attack against Iran;
- Include detailed findings and references to this incident in the Group’s upcoming reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly;
- Publicly condemn the use of mercenaries in acts of aggression, in accordance with the Group’s mandate to prevent the erosion of international legal norms;
- Engage directly with relevant UN bodies and mandate-holders to ensure coordinated action on accountability.
We are confident that the Working Group will approach this matter with the principled clarity and legal integrity that your mandate demands. A firm response at this critical juncture will not only uphold the principles of international law but also serve to deter further resort to mercenary violence by states acting with impunity.
We trust that the esteemed Working Group will address this matter with the principled and courageous approach befitting your mandate.
Respectfully yours,
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