Armed Conflict • International Law
Law of Armed Conflict/IHL
1,759 Articles

When War Crimes Rhetoric Becomes Battlefield Reality: The Slippery Slope to Total War on Iran
Former JAGs warn that threats to strike Iran’s power plants would violate the law of war and endanger U.S. service members’ legal and moral obligations.

Ukraine’s Long-Term Landmine Problem
April 4th is the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. It's a sad reminder that it will likely take decades to demine Ukraine.

“Precision Strike Missiles” (PrSMs) in Iran War: The U.S. Obligation to Conduct a Legal Review of New Weapons
Leading expert on U.S. legal reviews of new weapons systems discusses Precision Strike Missiles deployed in Iran war.

A Feasible Precaution Ignored: AI Targeting Algorithms and the Failure to Recognize Protected Emblems
Ensuring algorithms recognize protected emblems is an achievable first step to protect civilians and prevent future AI-enabled tragedies.

Statement by Israeli International Law Scholars Concerning Israel’s New “Death Penalty for Terrorists” Law
Leading Israeli international law scholars' statement on how new Israeli death penalty law for certain terrorism crimes "violates basic rules of international law."

In the U.S. Strike on an Iranian School, What a Serious Military Investigation Should Look Like
A U.S. military operation resulting in such a civilian death toll as the Minab school strike in Iran demands a credible, thorough Pentagon investigation.

Expert Q&A: A Targeting Primer on the Iran War
Leading legal experts' Q&A analyzes how the law of armed conflict applies to U.S., Israeli, and Iranian strikes - with a focus on targeting rules and civilian protections.

When Intelligence Fails: A Legal Targeting Analysis of the Minab School Strike
The law of armed conflict demands that we take the Minab school strike seriously to learn, to reform, and to prevent the next failure.

Targeting Enemy Logistics
In the Iran war, when do critical infrastructure and economic assets qualify as lawful military objectives under the law of armed conflict.

Hegseth Didn’t Revive an Ancient Warrior Ethos. He Repeated an American Pattern.
Hegseth's "no quarter" statement indicates how some in the Pentagon perceive the Iran war. "No quarter" language in US history has appeared when war turns colonial or racial.

Fighting an Illegal War and Fighting a War Illegally: the Link Between Regime Change Operations and International Humanitarian Law Violations
The relationship between regime change and IHL is of inherent tension, incentivizing battlefields where the law is viewed as an obstacle rather than an essential constraint.

An Unserious Justification for an Unnecessary War: Assessing the U.S. “Article 51” Letter to U.N. on Iran War
Former US State Department attorney writes that the United States' "Article 51" letter to the UN Security Council fails to identify legal basis for Iran attack.