Armed Conflict

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on the legal, policy, and strategic dimensions of armed conflict, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, counterterrorism operations, conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and other armed conflicts across the globe, with a focus on international humanitarian law, war crimes and accountability, mitigating and remedying civilian harm, and the humanitarian impacts of warfare.

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3,562 Articles
People wave Iranian flags from the bed of a truck depicting Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani

Is the United States at War with Iraq?

The non-international armed conflict between the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and the United States and Israel has yet to transform into an international armed conflict.
People walk past destroyed homes in Gaza

Submission to the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Application of the ICESCR in Situations of Armed Conflict

Outgoing UN Special Rapporteur finds that the destruction of housing in armed conflict is a "central and systemic" violation of international law.
The facade of the ICC building.

Transnational Repression and the Case for International Criminal Accountability

International criminal law should be applied to transnational repression. The tools to do so may already exist.
Former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, Atif Najib attends the first trial session at the Palace of Justice, in Damascus on April 26, 2026. Najib is the former head of political security in south Syria's Daraa province, the cradle of the country's 2011 uprising, and is accused of orchestrating a crackdown there. (Photo by Bakr ALkasem / AFP via Getty Images)

Building Justice After Assad: Syria’s Accountability Dilemma and Pathways to Justice

Syria’s first post-Assad trials spark hope and concern, as legal gaps and due process risks challenge efforts to deliver credible, inclusive justice for victims.
The flag of Mexico flying at United Nations headquarters in new York (via UN Photo)

How Multilateral Powers Can Still Save the World Order

Imperfect as the postwar order may be, the cost of abandoning it would be far greater than the cost of reinforcing it.
A silhouetted person stands inside a damaged building, looking out through a large broken opening at a high-rise building across the street.

The International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine: Update on the Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission and the Register of Damage for Ukraine

Together, they signal a shift from largely symbolic institution-building to a functional system capable of handling the full scope and scale of Ukraine’s reparations claims.

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part V

Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to examine escalating U.S. strikes on suspected drug traffickers.
People walk underneath an advertising billboard of Syria's largest mobile operator Syriatel, owned by businessman Rami Makhlouf, in the Syrian capital Damascus on May 11, 2020. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Taking a Closer Look at Syria’s Economy: Accountability or Business as Usual for Assad’s Cronies?

Syria’s economic future must be reshaped, including through accountability for corporations and businesspeople, and an economic system guided by the rule of law.
A tanker is docked at an offloading terminal.

Taking a Toll

How allowing Iran to charge for transit in the Strait of Hormuz could undermine U.S. strategy in the Pacific and beyond
Collage of the Israel-Iran conflict

Collection: Iran, Israel and the United States at War (2025-2026 Operations)

Experts analyze the US-Israel Iran military conflicts - covering nuclear diplomacy; strategic, security, and regional implications; and domestic and international law.
In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, the Iran-flagged tugboat Basim sails near a ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guards on May 4 denied that any commercial ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, after the US military earlier said two US-flagged merchant vessels had transited through the vital waterway. (Photo by Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images) /

What the Iran War Reveals About the War Powers Resolution and How Congress Can Act

It is Congress’s responsibility to assert its constitutional prerogatives with respect to the use of force and to rein in a lawless executive.
A woman walks past a giant billboard reading "The Strait of Hormuz remains closed" at the Revolution Square in Tehran on April 28, 2026. The White House said on April 27 it was examining Iran's latest proposal to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, two months after a US and Israeli offensive sent shockwaves through the global economy. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)

What A War Game Already Told Us About Iran

A war game exposed the risks of fighting Iran with assumptions instead of strategy, and its lessons echo in today’s conflict.
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