Articles of War

Targeting Iranian Spy Ships
On March 17, 2025, Al-Hadath, a Saudi news outlet, reported that U.S. forces in the Middle East had targeted and sunk Iran’s newest signals intelligence (SIGINT) ship, the IRINS Zagros (H313), while the spy ship was on station in the Red Sea. Both U.S. and Iranian...
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The Anti-ISIL Coalition, Civilian Harm, and the Obligation to Investigate
This post is drawn from the author’s article-length work, “How Does the Obligation to Investigate Alleged Serious Violations of International...
Ukraine Symposium – Territorial Acquisition and Armed Conflict
Soon after the outbreak of its international armed conflict with Ukraine in 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. Eight years later, it also annexed...
2023 DoD Manual Revision – To Shoot, or Not to Shoot . . . Automation and the Presumption of Civilian Status
(Editor’s note: This post is part of a series analyzing the 2023 revisions to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual.) One of the most...
Russia-Ukraine War at Sea: Naval Blockades, Visit and Search, and Targeting War-Sustaining Objects
On February 24, 2022, Russia’s Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot) announced the suspension of navigation in the Sea...
The Pending Israel-Palestine ICJ Advisory Opinion: Threats to Legal Principles and Security
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is poised to eviscerate the longstanding “land for peace” legal framework for resolving the...
2023 DoD Manual Revision – A Commentary on the Amendments
(Editor’s note: This post is part of a series analyzing the 2023 revisions to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual.) Introductory...
The Niger Coup and the Prospect of ECOWAS Military Intervention: An International Law Appraisal
On 26 July 2023 the Nigerien military, led by the Head of the Presidential Guard General Abdourahamane Tchiani, seized power from the democratically...
Stranded Seafarers Under International Humanitarian Law
Introduction One of Ukraine’s first belligerent reactions to its invasion by the Russian Federation was closing its ports to international...
2023 DOD Manual Revision – Practical Concerns Related to the Presumption of Civilian Status – Part II
(Editor’s note: This post is part of a series analyzing the 2023 revisions to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual.) Part I of this...
Articles of War Editorial Board Changes
Executive Editor We are pleased to congratulate Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Alcala on his appointment as Executive Editor at the West Point Press. The...
2023 DOD Manual Revision – Practical Concerns Related to the Presumption of Civilian Status – Part I
(Editor’s note: This post is part of a series analyzing the 2023 revisions to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Law of War Manual.) Since the 3rd...
Digitalize It: Digital Evidence at the ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC, or the Court) first accepted digital evidence in a legal proceeding in 2013 during the prosecution of Al Faqi...