International Law
Just Security offers expert analysis of international law and its role in addressing global challenges. Our coverage includes litigation in international and regional tribunals, the process of international law-making, analysis of compliance and accountability for international law violations–including international criminal justice, and challenges to the international legal order.
3,736 Articles
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.
Self-Preservation and the Erosion of International Law
It is the violation of fundamental principles of international law that ultimately constitutes an existential threat to all members of the international community.
How Iran, Anthropic-DoD Dispute Show the Need for Protective AI
The Iran War and the public rupture between DoD and Anthropic point to a fundamental imbalance in current military AI.
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.
![Close-up of several metal handguns laid side by side on a table, their barrels and triggers visible in tight rows, representing some of the thousands of weapons seized by the Mexican Army from drug traffickers in northern Mexico in January 2017. Gun reads: "U.S.A. [...] Springfield, Mass."](https://i0.wp.com/www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/GettyImages-631911044.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1)
Firearms Trafficking Comes to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Recent Advisory Opinion
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights' recent advisory opinion addresses the obligations of States and private actors to prevent and combat illicit trafficking of firearms.
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.
Fourth Circuit Affirms $42 Million Jury Verdict in Abu Ghraib Case
In Al Shimari, the Fourth Circuit affirmed two Alien Tort Statute claims: conspiracy to commit torture and conspiracy to commit cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
Expert Q&A on Key Law of Naval Warfare Issues in the Conflict with Iran
Top legal experts on the law of naval warfare break down the key issues in the Iran-U.S.-Israel conflict.
Legal and Operational Issues in the Strait of Hormuz: Transit Passage Under Fire
"During my own transits through the Strait as a naval officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Constellation, the narrow geography and proximity of Iranian territory were impossible…
Iranian Attacks on the Amazon Data Centers: A Legal Analysis
Do data centers qualify as lawful military objectives? If so, under what circumstances are they subject to attack? And what precautions must be taken before targeting them?