On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a massive campaign of strikes against Iran, triggering an Iranian retaliation with missile salvos targeting not only Israel but also the Gulf countries where American military bases are located. In a matter of days, the Middle East ignited into a conflict of unprecedented scale. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and extended its retaliation across the region, while Hezbollah opened a new front in Lebanon.
Quickly, some are describing the American-Israeli strikes as violations of Iranian sovereignty under international law, while Washington and Tel Aviv invoke legitimate defense and the nuclear threat. Each day, every strike, every retaliation, every official statement is accompanied by a narrative battle over their legality: war crimes or military necessity? Aggression or self-defense? The concepts of international humanitarian law are invoked, contested, and turned upside down.
These dynamics have now reached an intensity and visibility without precedent. International justice institutions, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice foremost among them, find themselves embroiled in these narrative battles, both held up as guarantors of a universal legal order and accused of partiality or inefficacy.
How do we distinguish between the rigorous use of law and its instrumentalization? What role do the media play in disseminating legal concepts to the general public? And to what extent does legal misinformation weaken the authority of international institutions?
We will have the chance to discuss these issues with:
– Stéphanie Maupas, independent journalist specializing in international criminal justice, – Thibaut Fleury Graff, Doctor of Law, Professor at the University of Paris Panthéon-Assas, – Nicolas Haupais, Professor of Public Law at the University of Paris-Saclay, specializing in public international law and international relations, – Facilitated by Nicolas Turcev, journalist at the Surligneurs, where he participates in covering international news and fact-checking fake news related to conflicts.
Interested? Join us at the Lucernaire Theater, 53 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris starting at 7 pm. Click to reserve your spot.
