Mar 31, 2026
Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik
While a world where power trumps principle is hostile to small states, it is also bad for great powers. The challenges that will shape our future do not respect borders or recognize spheres of influence, and they can be contained only through binding agreements and institutionalized cooperation.
OSLO – As the United States and Israel rain bombs down on Iran, with the stated intent of subduing one of the world’s most brutal regimes, international law is collateral damage. The US-Israeli strikes clearly defy fundamental rules governing the use of force, as do Iranian missile and drone attacks against civilians in Israel and elsewhere in the region. But these are just the latest in a long train of such violations. And given the rise of “might makes right” foreign policies, they might not be the last.
