The international legal order is under severe strain as U.S. and Israeli forces conduct strikes against Iran, with Tehran and its allies retaliating with missile attacks across the Mideast. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the U.S. and Israeli airstrikes violated international law, including the U.N. Charter, while also condemning Iran's retaliatory actions. U.S. officials, including Ambassador Mike Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, maintain the military campaign is lawful and necessary for global security, particularly concerning Iran's nuclear ambitions. Experts like David Crane and Marieke de Hoon argue these unilateral actions, including the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, constitute a crime of aggression and a dangerous normalization of force, potentially undermining global stability and U.S. legal foundations, with Democrats in Washington also questioning the legality and congressional authority for such strikes.