Eroding the UN Charter? A Critical Appraisal of the 2026 Iran Conflict and the Law on the Use of Force

Abstract

The 2026 Iran conflict happening in Israel, the United States of America, and Iran marks an important turning point in the steady breakdown of the United Nations Charter and the global rules on using force.1 This paper takes a critical look at the conflict through a legal viewpoint, placing it within the view of Charter erosion that dated back in 1945.2 The Charter's core pillars sovereignty, the ban on force, collective security, and peaceful dispute resolution were made to stop wars and ensure military moves only got the green light from the collective. The paper kicks off with the Charter's historical and legal roots, spotlighting early hurdles and key doctrinal shifts like humanitarian intervention, anticipatory self-defense, and the Responsibility to Protect.4 The Security Council's deadlock puts together collective security, while vague doctrine, blurs legal lines. By unpacking the clash in depth and linking it to wider historical and legal paths, this paper adds real value to studies on Charter erosion and international law's road ahead.