Armed Conflict • International Law
Use of Force
936 Articles
Lawful Self-Defense vs. Revenge Strikes: Scrutinizing Iran and U.S. Uses of Force under International Law
Here's what Congress should examine to determine if the U.S. strike complied with the law that we as a nation and our military champion. The same law that applies to Iran's actions.
Trump’s Threat to Target Iranian Cultural Sites: Illegal Under International, Domestic and Military Law
In response to a potential Iranian armed retaliation following the United States’ killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, President Donald Trump tweeted that the U.S. military…
As Conflict with Iran Intensifies, the U.S. Intelligence Community Is Still Leaderless
At a time when policy decisions that should be based on intelligence assessments are being made that bring us ever-closer to full-blown war, it’s critical that we have leadership…
The Targeted Killing of General Soleimani: Its Lawfulness and Why It Matters
Analyzing the killing of Soleimani from an international law standpoint matters a great deal. Reasserting the primacy of international law in such times of crisis is a solemn and…
Iran’s Unlawful Reprisal (and Ours)
"By Iran’s own standard, last night’s operation was unlawful." So was the US strike on Soleimani. Time to stop this cycle of unilateral illegal acts.
Soleimani Strike Marks a Novel Shift in Targeted Killing, Dangerous to the Global Order
"President Donald Trump’s decision to target Soleimani ... brings the signature technique of the so-called 'war on terror' – the targeted killing of individuals outside any…
Trump’s Fatal Mistake: Killing Soleimani vs. Countering ISIS
The fight against ISIS is on hold. It’s unclear how exactly it will ever resume. An article by Luke Hartig, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism at National Security Council,…
The Soleimani Strike and War Powers
Key Legal Questions, With Preview of a New Research Database
United States Killed Iraqi Military Official and Iraqi Military Personnel in the Two Recent Attacks
"If these dimensions of the unfolding events are not properly understood by U.S. decision makers and the media, the currently highly volatile situation—between the United States,…
The Missing Assistant Secretary of Defense and the Soleimani Strike
Government officials will be working around the clock in the coming days to keep Americans safe and manage the fallout. It’s highly unfortunate that one critical voice will be…
Turkey’s Syria Invasion: German Research Report Says Illegal on All Counts
A German parliamentary research report serves as an important reminder that evidence and proportionality matter, and that exceptions to the prohibition of the use of force should…
Trump Repudiates a Century of U.S. Policy
The United States has consistently held that it was in our national security interest to ensure that only peaceful means were used to alter political boundaries in Europe. The…