Armed Conflicts
141 Articles

Timeline of Vessel Strikes and Related Actions
A timeline that chronicles major events in the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.

Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers
Collection of expert analysis on the legality of the U.S. strike on Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean, the consequences of the strike, and related issues.

In Ethiopia, an Unfinished Peace Risks Betraying the People of Tigray and the Broader Region
A confluence of factors threatens to reignite the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, exacerbating displacement and human suffering, and destabilizing the entire region.

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV
Co-hosted with RCLS, a panel of experts discuss the Trump administration's continued campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers.

As Trump Presses for a Post-Maduro Venezuela: Questions, Lessons, and Warnings for the Aftermath
As the Trump administration positions for possible military strikes, it would be wise to prepare for looming governance and stability challenges in Venezuela.

With New Transit Routes and Investment, the U.S. Aims to Counter China and Russia in the South Caucasus and Central Asia
How the U.S.-brokered Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the TRIPP trade route are reshaping Eurasia’s economic and security alliances, from the Caspian to Europe and beyond.

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Has Options in Response to Latest U.S.-Russian ‘Peace Plan’
The plan is a mess, but Ukrainians are right to try to work with the draft rather than reject it out of hand.

From Secret Law (2001-2024) to None at All (2025-present)
The Trump administration's lethal strikes are the apotheosis of the last quarter century's often always secret and often unreviewable executive branch legal reasoning.

Nicaragua v. Germany: Why Israel is Not an Indispensable Third Party
Analysis of Germany's argument before the International Court of Justice in Gaza case.

Trump’s Nuclear Testing Remark Was a Signal — Not a Strategy
The science is sound, the stockpile is strong, and the call to test a nuclear bomb has no technical foundation. Resuming testing would not make America safer.

Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes
A mock “operational legal review” depicting what a staff judge advocate’s advice should have been prior to the first reported strike on an alleged drug trafficking vessel.

Much Work to Do and No Time to Waste: Mitigating Civilian Harm in an Asia-Pacific Conflict
Civilian harm is not entirely avoidable during armed conflict, but it can be anticipated and its severity limited. In Asia-Pacific, this depends entirely on steps taken now.