Use of Force

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167 Articles

Book Release – Perpetual War and International Law: Enduring Legacies of the War on Terror

Introducing a new OUP book interrogating how precedents set in the post-9/11 era continue to shape contemporary conflicts.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City

The Many Ways in Which the September 2 Caribbean Strike was Unlawful … and the Grave Line the Military Has Crossed

A deep dive into US domestic authority and law most relevant to the US strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City

Striking Drug Cartels under the Jus ad Bellum and Law of Armed Conflict

Analysis of laws of war and law on the resort to armed force in U.S. military action against Tren de Aragua.
The Just Security Podcast

The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel

Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane join Tess Bridgeman to unpack what you need to know about the U.S. strike on a purported drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean.
The US Navy warship USS Sampson (DDG 102) docks at the Amador International Cruise Terminal in Panama City on September 02, 2025. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on September 1, 2025, that eight US military vessels with 1,200 missiles were targeting his country, which he declared to be in a state of "maximum readiness to defend" itself. (Photo by MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)

Legal Issues Raised by a Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean

The Trump administration’s extraordinary lethal attack on a purported drug smuggling vessel – and its vow that it is the start of a campaign – raise significant legal issues.
IMAGES (left to right): People search through buildings, destroyed during Israeli air raids in the southern Gaza Strip on November 7, 2023 in Khan Yunis, Gaza (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images); A fireball erupts during Israeli bombardment of Gaza City on October 9, 2023 (Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images); The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case South Africa v. Israel on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court (Photo by the International Court of Justice).

Just Security’s Israel-Hamas War Archive

Just Security's collection of more than 110 articles covering the Israel-Hamas War and its diplomatic, legal, and humanitarian consequences.
The Just Security Podcast

The Just Security Podcast: Is There a Diplomatic Path for Iran’s Nuclear Program? An Interview with Richard Nephew

Just Security’s Tess Bridgeman is joined by Richard Nephew to discuss where things stand and what a path forward for Iran's nuclear program might look like.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Camille Shea speaks during a Security Council Meeting on the Israel-Iran conflict at United Nations headquarters on June 24, 2025 in New York. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Assessing the U.S. Article 51 Letter for the Attack on Iran: Legal Lipstick on the Use of Force Pig

Former State Department attorney analyzes U.S. letter to UN Security Council that presented legal arguments for U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Secretary Noem posts an Instagram reel on April 8, 2025 with the text message: "Human traffickers. Drug Smugglers. 18th Street Gang members. Spent the morning in Phoenix with our brave @icegov and Arizona law enforcement arresting these dirtbags and getting them off of our streets."

What are “Wartime Authorities” and When Can the President Use Them? An Expert Q&A

It is essential to understand the line between war and peace, scrutinize the application of wartime powers, and interrogate the president’s assertions when he triggers them.
This picture taken from a position in southern Israel, on the border with the Gaza Strip, shows destroyed buildings in the besieged territory on May 27, 2025. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images) 

The Illegality of Israel’s Military Offensive in Gaza

Analysis of jus ad bellum with Israel’s stated objectives for its current military operations in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talks with Panama Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vasquez in front of a Panama Canal sign.

Ambiguity Is Not Authorization: The Neutrality Treaty Does Not Justify U.S. Military Intervention in Panama

U.S. Military intervention in Panama would violate fundamental international norms and find no justification in the Neutrality Treaty.
U.S. President Donald Trump (C) and Vice President JD Vance meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Negotiations at Gunpoint: Does U.S. Pressure on Ukraine for a Minerals Deal Amount to Unlawfully Procuring a Treaty by Use of Force?

Coercion leveraged by the U.S. to secure Ukrainian mineral resources could be deemed use of force, rendering any resulting treaty void.
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