international law

The United States and Israel launched air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Trump called this a strong move against Iran's nuclear goals, stating the U.S. is "fully aligned" with Israel to stop Iran from developing a bomb. However, experts caution that these strikes might not stop nuclear spread but could break international law norms and lead to a more unstable world where powerful countries act without restraint.

The quest to maintain international peace and security has driven diplomatic efforts since the Thirty Years’ War and the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia. Yet permanent peace has remained elusive. Early peace conferences in The Hague at the turn of the 20th century and the post–World War II United Nations Charter sought to limit armaments and resolve conflicts. Today, the intensifying tension between Israel and Iran has exposed the limitations of existing frameworks—and has reignited debate over nuclear non-proliferation. This article examines the political underpinnings of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), its Cold War origins, and the ways in which the current Israelo-Iranian standoff reflects deeper fissures in the global order.

Since Friday, Israeli air and missile strikes have targeted dozens of sites across Iran, including senior military installations, missile-production facilities and several locations linked to its nuclear program. Among the most high-profile blows was the reported killing of over a dozen top nuclear scientists and significant damage to the Natanz enrichment site. Yet, military commanders and nuclear proliferation experts now agree these attacks have not decisively set back Tehran’s atomic ambitions.

Since late May, Israel has required international aid to Gaza to be distributed exclusively through three Israeli-backed, US-operated sites managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This change followed Israel’s accusations that Hamas militants were diverting supplies from United Nations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Under the new system, aid trucks unload food and water at fortified GHF centres in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, guarded by Israeli troops. UN agencies, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), have been blocked from direct distribution, citing security concerns.

For decades, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly vowed to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions by any means necessary. Those long-held threats culminated this week in “Operation Rising Lion,” a series of coordinated airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure. While Netanyahu’s carefully cultivated reputation as “Mr. Security” may have compelled him to pull the trigger, the strikes carry profound strategic, diplomatic, and domestic risks. As rescuers sift through the rubble in Tehran and world leaders scramble for a response, the true costs of confronting Iran head-on are only beginning to surface.

At the September 2024 BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, Chinese Premier Xi Jinping proclaimed the “collective rise of the Global South” as a defining feature of today’s geopolitical transformation. While emphasising China’s leadership, Xi underscored that Beijing would not abandon the interests of developing countries—a message aimed at rallying emerging economies around an alternative to the U.S.-led liberal order. That same gathering saw India, Brazil, and South Africa join China, Russia, and others in a BRICS+ framework that signalled a clear desire for a multipolar world.

Vanuatu, an archipelagic nation in the South Pacific, operates an economic citizenship scheme known as the Development Support Program (DSP). Established in the late 1990s, the program allows foreign nationals to acquire full Vanuatu citizenship through a minimum investment of US $130,000 (approximately AU $201,000). Proponents argue the scheme generates much-needed revenue for one of the world’s smallest economies, funding public services, infrastructure projects, and pandemic recovery efforts. According to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the DSP contributed nearly 9 percent of Vanuatu’s government revenue in 2024—albeit a drop from a peak of 33 percent in 2020, when travel restrictions led more applicants to seek expedited citizenship.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced a successful underwater explosive attack on the Kerch Bridge—Russia’s vital road and rail link to Crimea. The operation, reportedly involving more than one ton of explosives, temporarily disrupted traffic and underscored Kyiv’s evolving maritime insurgency against Moscow’s seaborne supply lines. As Ukraine seeks to weaken Russian logistics ahead of possible counteroffensives, the latest strike has opened a new chapter in the conflict, one that extends from eastern land battles into the waters of the Kerch Strait. This article examines the details of the operation, its strategic significance for both belligerents, reactions from international observers, and the broader implications for the course of the war.