Ben Saul in the news: amid clashes over international law justifications in US-Israel strikes. He’s the Challis Professor of International Law at Sydney Uni.
The US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, claiming preemptive action to prevent nuclear proliferation. Experts argue the attacks breach international law, as they lack UN Security Council approval and evidence of imminent threat. Iran condemns the strikes as war crimes, escalating regional tensions.
The US military has conducted its 47th strike since September 2025 against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing at least 163 people. The strikes, based on unspecified intelligence, face legal and human rights criticism, with experts questioning their legality and effectiveness.
On March 28, 2026, an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon killed three journalists: Ali Shoeib of Hezbollah's Al Manar, Fatima Ftouni of Al Mayadeen, and her brother Mohammad Ftouni. Israel claimed Shoeib was a Hezbollah intelligence operative, a charge denied by Hezbollah. Lebanese officials condemned the attack as a war crime. The strike occurred during intensified Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.