Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, International Law, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, International Law, Institution for Research and Development in the Humanities, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

On 20 June, 2019, a U.S. drone was shot down by the Iranian forces while spying above the Iran’s territory. It is said by the Iranian officials that the drone ignored the warning signals. Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, military and civilian aircrafts including drones shall be flown over territories of a contracting State with a special authorization of that State. The 1993 Act on the Marine Areas of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea, also excluded the passage of foreign vessels aimed at collecting information prejudicial to the national security, defense or economic interests of Iran as an innocent passage. Further, under article 39(1)b of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, during the transit passage, ships and aircrafts shall “refrain from any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of States bordering the strait, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations”. The entering into the territory of Iran by the U.S. drone which was with the purpose of collecting information from the army targets was prejudicial to the Iranian national interest. Iran`s reaction in shooting down of the drone is compatible with the inherent right of self-defense enshrined in article 51 of the UN Charter. As a result, the Iranian government could use force based on the self-defense principle.

Keywords

-            ماری الن اوکونل، حقوق بین‌الملل در خصوص هواپیماهای بدون سرنشین، ترجمه عبدالله عابدینی، مقالات کوتاه منتشره در بخش دیدگاه‌های انجمن امریکایی حقوق بین‌الملل، ‌شماره 37، (2010)، قابل دسترسی در تارنمای مؤسسه حقوق بین‌الملل پارس به نشانی: http://internationallaw.ir.  
-            قانون مناطق دریایی ایران در خلیج فارس و دریای عمان مصوب مجلس شورای اسلامی، 1372، قابل دسترسی در: https://rc.majlis.ir/fa/law/show/92205.
 
ب- انگلیسی
Book
-            Randelzhofer and Georg Notle, Article 51, in, Bruno Simma et la, The Charter of the United Nations: A Commentary, 3th ed (London: Oxford University Press, 2012).
 

Articles

-             Ashley Deeks and Scott R. Anderson, “Iran Shoots Down a U.S. Drone: Domestic and International Legal Implications”, (2019), at:  https://www.lawfareblog.com/iran-shoots-down-us-drone-domestic-and-international-legal-implications.

 

-            Bobby Chesney, “The Legal Context for CYBERCOM’s Reported Operations against Iran”, (2019), at: https:// www. lawfareblog. com/ legal-context-cybercoms-reported-operations-against-iran.

 

-            Federica I., Paddeu,   “Self-Defence as a Circumstance Precluding Wrongfulness: Understanding Article 21 of the Articles on State Responsibility”, British Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 85, (2015).

 

-            James Kraska,, “Misunderstanding of International Aviation Law May be Behind Iran’s Shootdown of the U.S. Global Hawk Drone”, (2019), at: https:// www. Ejiltalk. Org/ misunderstanding-of-international-aviation-law-may-be-behind-irans-shootdown-of-the-u-s-global-hawk-drone.

 
-            Karl Zemanek, “Armed Attack”, Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Online Version, (2019), at: https://opil.ouplaw.com.
 
-            Markus Wagner, “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”, Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, online version, (2019), at: https://opil.ouplaw.com.
 
-            Michael Schmitt, Top Experts Backgrounder: “Aborted US Strike, Cyber Operations against Iran and International Law”, (2019), at: https://www.justsecurity.org/64669/top-expert-backgrounder-on-aborted-u-s-strike-and-cyber-operation-against-iran-and-international-law.
 

-            Mohamed Helal, “The Global Hawk Incident: Self-Defense against Aerial Incursions – Reflections on the Applicable Law”, (2019), at:  http:// opiniojuris.org/2019/07/04/the-global-hawk-incident-self-defense-against-aerial-incursions-reflections-on-the-applicable-law.

 

-            Scott R., Anderson, “When Does the President Think He Can Go to War with Iran?”, (2019), at:  https://www.lawfareblog.com/when-does-president-think-he-can-go-war-iran.

 
Documents and Cases
-            Department of Defense, Law of War Manual, (2016), at: https:// dod. defense. gov/ Portals/ 1/Documents/ pubs/ DoD%20Law% 20of%20 War%20 Manual%20-%20 June %202015%20 Updated%20Dec%202016.pdf?ver= 2016-12-13-172036-190.
 
-            Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v. United States of America), (2003), at: https://www.icj-cij.org/files/case-related/90/090-20031106-JUD-01-00-EN.pdf.
 
-            Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission, Partial Award – Jus Ad Bellum – Ethiopia’s Claims 1-8, (2006), https://pcacases.com/web/sendAttach/763.
 
-            Case concerning MV “SAIGA” (No. 2) (1999), (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines V. Guinea).
 
-            Draft articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, with commentaries (2001), Yearbook of the International LawCommission, Vol. II, Part Two.
 
-            Resolution 2216 (2015).
 
-            Convention on International Civil Aviation, (1944).
 
-            Convention on the Law of the Sea, (1982).
 
-            Letter dated 20 June 2019 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, at: https://undocs.org/en/S/2019/512.