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Gen. Dan Caine speaks at a podium in front of a photograph of a ship

Five “Blockades” and One Legal Problem: Naval Enforcement in the U.S.–Iran Conflict

Former U.S. Navy Commander, JAGC Mark Nevitt clarifies the 5 "blockades" in the U.S.-Iran conflict and the different legal issues and operational risks at stake.
wp-ep134-thumbnail-sudan-enters-its-fourth-year-of-civil-war

The Just Security Podcast: Sudan Enters Its Fourth Year of Civil War

Quscondy Abdulshafi joins host Viola Gienger to discuss how Sudan got to this point, how the international community has responded, and where to go next. 
(L/R) US Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio look on as US President Donald Trump holds up a resolution document that he signed during the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 19, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Some Questions for Congress About Trump’s Request for Funding for the Board of Peace

Close scrutiny of the administration’s plans for contributions to the Board of Peace is warranted in light of the large dollar amounts involved.
Plumes of smoke rise following reported explosions in Tehran early on March 3, 2026. The United States and Israel started striking Iran on February 28, killing Iran's supreme leader and top military leaders, and prompting authorities to retaliate with strikes on Israel and across the Gulf. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

Over 100 International Law Experts Warn: U.S. Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter and May Be War Crimes

Over 100 international law experts sign letter on Iran War, UN Charter, and international humanitarian law.
A group of Sudanese individuals receive food aid.

Amid Shaky Ceasefire, War in Iran Is Starving Sudan

The Iran war did not create Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, but it is accelerating it, deepening it, and narrowing the window to stop it.
Smoke rises following strikes on Tehran on April 7, 2026. New strikes rocked Tehran on April 7 with Iran showing no sign of backing down as a US deadline loomed for it to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or have its civilian infrastructure "decimated,” according to the US president. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) /

Reprisals and the Paradox of Trust: Why Threats of Retaliation in the Iran War are Unlikely to Work

Reprisals demand trust between adversaries, yet they often spark escalation. Their ban under international law is both moral and practical.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on March 31, 2026. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP via Getty Images)

The Dangers of Hegseth’s “Warfighter” Ethos

Hegseth may present his version of a warfighter as the paragon of U.S. military power, but for all his talk, he fails to recognize the true strengths of the armed forces.
(L-R) Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse testify during a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on "Worldwide Threats," on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 26, 2025. (Photo by Drew ANGERER / AFP) (Photo by DREW ANGERER/AFP via Getty Images)

How Good is Our Intelligence on Iran?

Former senior CIA and head of Interfor Academy assess the potential intelligence failures in U.S. preparation for Iran war.
US Special Envoy Thomas Barrack and US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson met with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at Salam's office in Beirut, Lebanon, on July 21, 2025. (Photo by COURTNEY BONNEAU/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Washington Is Backing the Wrong Lebanon Strategy

The U.S. should link Lebanese state-building and Hezbollah disarmament through a political process, not war, to secure a durable Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
A huge banner of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei who was killed in joint operation named Epic Fury by Israel and the U.S. in his residence is posted on a building facade in Revolution Square on March 4, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images

Khamenei’s Killing and the Perilous Death of the Assassination Ban

Khamenei’s killing ends the U.S. ban on assassination and signals a shift as nations may forsake diplomacy, embracing force to eliminate foreign adversaries.
Three cone shaped flags on poles, Israel, Iran, United States, isolated on a transparent background (via Getty Images).

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.
IMAGES (left to right): People search through buildings, destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images); A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023 (Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images); The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court (Photo by the International Court of Justice).

Just Security’s Israel-Hamas War Archive

Just Security's collection of more than 110 articles covering the Israel-Hamas War and its diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian consequences.
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