https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/eba36556-5643-476a-be9b-0db5d44dd346 Former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei says the war on Iran is “illegal” and risks repeating the same pattern that led to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Speaking on The David Hearst Podcast, ElBaradei rejected claims that Iran is close to developing a nuclear weapon, stating: “There is no structured… no systematic nuclear weapon programme in Iran.” Drawing a direct comparison with Iraq, he said: “We saw a complete deception… and yet they went to war and destroyed a country.” He warned that similar narratives today risk leading to the same outcome, and said that claims Iran is “weeks away” from a bomb are dangerous: “I got depressed… because I know the meaning – innocent civilians will die.” ElBaradei described the war as unjustified and counterproductive: “This war is illegal… it will not achieve anything,” but it could make Iran “more hawkish”. He also pointed to the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, saying Iran had accepted strict inspections but “sanctions were never lifted”. More broadly, he warned the conflict reflects a breakdown in the global system: “We have no international law in place… it’s spiralling out of control.” Watch the full interview on The David Hearst Podcast. Chapters 00:00 – Introduction 01:30 – Iran vs Iraq: key similarities 04:30 – “No nuclear weapons programme in Iran” 08:30 – Iraq war deception revisited 12:30 – “This war is illegal” 17:00 – Why the war lacks clear justification 22:00 – Collapse of the nuclear deal 27:00 – “They gave up everything” 32:00 – Why Iran feels insecure 38:00 – Breakdown of international law 44:00 – “We have no international law” 49:00 – Western double standards 55:00 – Global order “spiralling out of control” 01:00:00 – Can diplomacy still work? Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Tue, 05 May 2026 00:24:07 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/eba36556-5643-476a-be9b-0db5d44dd346 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.