Self-Defence in International Law: Changing Dimensions in Modern Conflicts

Rising US-Iran tensions, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Israel's military actions in Gaza, and American interventions in Venezuela have triggered a fierce debate: is international law still relevant? International relations scholars are writing obituaries of international law, bracing for what they call a "norm-free world".

• At the centre of this debate sits one doctrine above all others: the right to self-defence.

The Legal Foundation: What Does International Law Say?

• The prohibition on the threat or use of force is enshrined in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, the bedrock of the post-1945 international order.
• Article 2(4) is not absolute as it carries a ....