Legal Framework

Customary International Law

The broader body of unwritten international law derived from the consistent practice of states undertaken out of a sense of legal obligation. It encompasses rules on state sovereignty, diplomatic immunity, and fundamental human rights norms.

Related incidents

4 incidents

Trump Orders Pentagon to Resume Nuclear Weapons Testing, Breaking 33-Year Moratorium

Trump directed the Pentagon to match other nations' nuclear testing programs, breaking a moratorium that has held since 1992 and threatening to collapse the global norm against nuclear testing that …

  • On October 30, 2025, Trump publicly directed the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing, stating the US should match 'other countries' …
  • The US has not conducted a live nuclear weapons test since 1992, when President George H.W. Bush imposed a unilateral testing moratorium. No …

ICC Immunity Demands: Ultimatum to Amend Rome Statute and Exempt Americans from War Crimes Prosecution

A systematic campaign to destroy the International Criminal Court's ability to hold Americans accountable for war crimes, combining unprecedented sanctions on judges with demands to rewrite the Rome …

  • On February 6, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14203 imposing sanctions on the ICC, blocking property of the Chief Prosecutor …
  • The administration demanded three conditions: the ICC must guarantee it will not investigate Trump or his top officials, drop investigations …

Executive Order Sanctioning International Criminal Court Officials

The administration imposed escalating sanctions on ICC officials -- including judges and prosecutors -- for investigating US citizens and allies, obstructing international criminal accountability and …

  • EO 14203 authorized visa restrictions and financial penalties against ICC officials investigating US citizens or allies, specifically …
  • Sanctions were progressively expanded from prosecutor Karim Khan to four ICC judges and eventually 11 officials by December 2025.

Naval Blockade of Venezuelan Oil Exports

A naval blockade of Venezuelan oil exports drew condemnation from UN experts as a violation of fundamental international law, with legal analysts characterizing it as an act of war imposed without …

  • Trump announced a 'TOTAL AND COMPLETE BLOCKADE' of sanctioned oil tankers going to and from Venezuela in December 2025.
  • UN experts declared the blockade violated 'fundamental rules of international law,' characterizing it as an unlawful use of force.