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.
3,701 Articles

“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.

Where the Law Gets Thin: The Jurisdictional Gap Pirates Exploit
UNCLOS’s piracy provisions codified a model rooted in older piracy patterns that don’t match today’s near-shore threat. Today, piracy is a recurring, adaptive threat.

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.

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.

Statement by Israeli International Law Scholars Concerning Israel’s New “Death Penalty for Terrorists” Law
Leading Israeli international law scholars' statement on how new Israeli death penalty law for certain terrorism crimes "violates basic rules of international law."

What the Latest Session of the Commission on the Status of Women Reveals About Global Rights
CSW emphasized that women are at the forefront of combating global backsliding, and preserving their rights remains central to protecting rule of law and global stability.

In the U.S. Strike on an Iranian School, What a Serious Military Investigation Should Look Like
A U.S. military operation resulting in such a civilian death toll as the Minab school strike in Iran demands a credible, thorough Pentagon investigation.

Iranian Officials’ Legal Liability in Russia’s Drone War on Ukraine
A forthcoming report argues that liability extends to Iranian officials involved in providing industrial, financial, and logistical support for Russia's atrocities in Ukraine.

Will the Next U.N. Counterterrorism Strategy Hold States Accountable For Their Use of AI?
The 9th U.N. Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should insist that AI-enabled counterterrorism policies and practices demonstrably comply with international law.

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.