UN Laws Torn Apart Amid Global Wars: U.S. and Israel Cross All Limits (Source: Canva)
Recently, someone compared the current global situation to the "Warring States Period" — a reference to ancient China, where violent struggles for power raged for centuries. That term now seems eerily appropriate for today’s world.
Renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood wrote a poem 30 years ago in 1995, titled 'The Loneliness of the Military Historian'. In it, she stated: "Wars happen because the people who start them think they can win." That line resonates deeply today, as powerful nations impose their will, and weaker ones suffer. It feels as though we're living inside Atwood's poem.
On 21 June, the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, American President Donald Trump deployed B-2 bombers from Missouri to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities with 30,000-pound bombs — the most extensive U.S. military action against Iran to date.
In 2003, President George W. Bush invaded Iraq, seeking authorisation from the UN — which he did not receive, yet he proceeded. The war killed approximately half a million people. Trump, on the other hand, didn’t even bother seeking UN permission. He portrays himself as a strongman, but his military action against Iran seemed to mirror Netanyahu’s strategy — targeted assassinations of Iranian generals and scientists and civilian casualties on Iranian streets.
What the U.S. and Israel have done to a sovereign nation like Iran parallels Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. Russia launched its assault in February 2022, while Israel has been bombarding Gaza and punishing Palestinians for over 20 months — with immense casualties and destruction in both regions.
We are indeed living in a 21st-century Warring States Era, far removed from the relative peace of the past 30 years. The question arises: how long will it last? Can it last?
U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities are in direct violation of Article 56 of the Geneva Convention’s Additional Protocol, which prohibits such actions due to nuclear contamination risks. Israel justified its attack as an act of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which requires an imminent threat — something Iran posed no evidence of at the time.
Even if Iran was building a bomb, international law does not grant any nation the right to preemptively attack another.
Similarly, Russia’s 2022 Ukraine invasion violated a core UN principle: member states must not use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state. Russia claimed its attack was a self-defence operation, but Ukraine had neither attacked nor threatened it.
Simply put, much of what’s happening in today’s world blatantly defies international law. Powerful nations act with impunity, while weaker nations suffer. How long this state of lawlessness will last is unknown, but one thing is certain — it bodes ill for humanity.
We are living in a time where might overrides right, and laws seem meaningless. It is deeply disheartening. We must hope that this dark chapter ends and peace and justice are restored globally.
The Geneva Convention clearly states that starvation should not be used as a weapon of war. Yet what’s more shocking than blatant attacks is the silence of the international community.
Only a few leaders have taken a stand. One of them is Chile’s young president, Gabriel Boric, who strongly condemned the U.S. strike on Iran, saying:
"Having power doesn’t mean you can break the rules that humanity has agreed upon — even if you’re America."
Most countries have remained silent on violations of sovereignty. In the past, such breaches would lead to sanctions or exclusion from global institutions — like Pakistan, which was expelled twice from the Commonwealth. But back then, countries weren’t destroyed militarily or had their governments overthrown just for violating norms.
Today, the rules-based international order is rapidly eroding. This weakens global security and makes future wars potentially more dangerous. Powerful countries — or those with allies — now justify preemptive attacks based on perceived or imagined threats. As a result, no one feels safe anymore.
This unsettling reality may be aptly described in Atwood's poem, which is told from the viewpoint of a female military historian, or it may serve as a sobering warning for the future.
In short, the erosion of global norms is deeply alarming. As powerful nations act unilaterally and others remain passive, the world is becoming more dangerous. If this trend continues, future generations may inherit a far more violent world.
We must understand what a rules-based global order means: it’s the idea that all nations abide by shared laws to preserve peace and cooperation. Violating these laws — such as unprovoked attacks or acts of genocide — threatens global stability. Many believe that this system is now weakening as powerful countries ignore international laws, leading to rising instability.
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