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
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.
A man takes a photo of an older man's image on a screen.

Codifying Forced Marriage in the Crimes Against Humanity Convention: From Jurisprudence to Treaty Text

States now have an opportunity to codify forced marriage as a specific violation in a proposed treaty on crimes against humanity.
Under a blue and hazy gray sky, a large oil tanker ship emits smoke while sailing the Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Iran.

Continuing Crisis in Strait of Hormuz: Why Iran’s Hold is Illegal and U.S. Military Force Alone Fails

Former US Navy Commander, JAGC Mark Nevitt provides a legal and operational update on the Strait of Hormuz crisis, including Iran’s military role and imposition of tolls.
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.
Shirvan Combine Cycle Power Plant. The power station is located in North Khorasan Province, near the city of Shirvan. (Via Getty Images)

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.
(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.
​Wide shot view of a Ukrainian police deminer​ kneeling in a grassy field, using a metal detector to search for explosives in the in the Izyum district of Kharkiv region, Ukraine​. The man has a prosthetic leg.

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.
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.
The U.S. Army’s Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 lifting off (via U.S. Army)

“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 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.
Military personnel look at a computer screen.

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.
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