Tag

#aggression

2 incidents

Grade 5 of 5: International Crime (Rome Statute)

U.S. Naval Blockade of Iranian Ports

The United States imposed a full naval blockade on all Iranian ports after peace talks in Islamabad collapsed, threatening to destroy any vessel approaching. The blockade — the first U.S. naval blockade since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis — is a belligerent act that, imposed in furtherance of an unlawful war, is a listed act of aggression (UNGA Res 3314, Art 3(c)). It threatens 25% of global seaborne oil and inflicts severe economic harm on Iran's civilian population; the US declared a humanitarian exemption for food and medicine, and whether that exemption operates in practice is disputed.

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Operation Midnight Hammer: US Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Sites Without Congressional or UN Authorisation (June 2025)

The US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 without asking Congress or the UN Security Council. A leading international law scholar, writing for the Lieber Institute at West Point, concluded the strikes do not qualify as self-defence. The operation was the first direct US use of force against Iran in this period and preceded the 2026 war.