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
Report Offers New Evidence of Starvation Crimes in Darfur
The evidence in the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab report demonstrates that the world is watching and gathering information to eventually bring those responsible to account.
Technology and the ICRC’s GC IV 2025 Commentary
Surveys how the 2025 ICRC GC IV Commentary integrates technology into its analysis of specific rules, while raising concerns about its treatment of data as property.
Aggression, Plain and Simple: A Response to Shany and Cohen on the Attack on Iran
Legal academics debate the state of international law and international institutions in light of the US-Israel-Iran War.
Sinking Iran’s Frigate IRIS Dena and the Law of Naval Warfare
Legal explainer concerning the location of the Iranian vessel, the attack itself, and the U.S. submarine's lack of attempted rescue.
The International Community at a Crossroads Over Iran: The reawakening of “illegal but legitimate” or the “law of self-preservation”?
"The tensions we have identified are particularly acute when a State faces an existential threat and, as in here, from an enemy long committed to radically unlawful behavior."
The United Kingdom’s Use of Force Against Iran: Walking a Legal Tightrope?
An assessment of the United Kingdom's ability to maintain a legal line between defensive versus offensive operations against Iran.
Was Targeting Ayatollah Khamenei and Other Iranian Leaders Lawful? What Precedents Does It Set?
After Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack, a key question arises: when is striking a member of the enemy leadership lawful under the laws…
Double Preemption, Imminence, and the U.S. Attack Against Iran
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s argument that Operation Epic Fury was an act of preemptive self-defense is not credible and does not satisfy the necessary precondition.
Top Questions the Trump Administration Needs to Answer on War with Iran
What Congress, journalists, and the public should ask the Trump administration about its war in Iran.
Aggression by the United States and Israel, Misdirected Self-Defense by Iran, and Collective Self-Defense of Gulf States
Analysis of the legality of U.S.-Israel actions against Iran, Iran’s response, and third-party states’ legal options and obligations under the UN Charter.
“Significantly Diminished”: Commenting Anew on Article 23 of Geneva Convention IV in a Transformed Legal Context
New Commentary on GC IV describes Article 23—the treaty’s key provision governing the duty to allow the passage of essentials to civilians—as "significantly diminished" today.
The Trump Administration’s Theory of Constitutional War Powers: “The President Could Decide”
The legal memo justifying its Venezuela operations provides insight into the administration's use-of-force decisions and the factual evidence undergirding them.