Professor Alexander Orakhelashvili discusses legal arguments voiced regarding the armed conflict between Israel and Iran.
The current military conflict between Israel and Iran, which has begun on 13 June 2025, has attracted substantial discussion on legal justification of Israel’s use of force against Iran. So far, there have been not many including mostly Israel’s own communication to the UN Security Council on 17 June, itself rather sparse on legal detail, and Australia’s position discussed here. A greater discussion has been witnessed through academic commentaries, however. There are views that Israel’s attacks on Iran could be defended as (anticipatory) self-defence or that, alternatively, Israel is acting in the context of a wider and ongoing international armed conflict and hence the legality of its actions have to be assessed under jus in bello.
Professor of International Law
Birmingham Law School
Profile of Birmingham Law School academic, Dr Alexander Orakhelashvili, Professor of International Law
