Leaders did not expect legal threats to shift Vladimir Putin or end war crimes by his troops. Serious violations of the laws of war, reckless as well as deliberate, constitute war crimes. That Iran is also committing war crimes does not lessen US or Israeli culpability. Yet as the war on Iran began, Chancellor Merz asked “what should we do when international law clearly reaches its limits”. The difficulty of upholding international law, and the limits of its scope, are no reason to jettison it.

Source: The Guardian March 26, 2026 05:57 UTC