"I don't need international law," Trump said in an interview with the New York Times on January 7, 2026, adding: "I'm not looking to hurt people." A broader reading of international law also allows force against an "imminent threat," though this interpretation is highly contested. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Sunday that "existing rules, including those of international law, are being observed less and less." In recent decades, repeated attempts had been made to influence Iran through measures grounded in international law. "The justification that did emerge almost entirely disregarded international law and spoke only in terms of US domestic law."

Source: International New York Times March 04, 2026 14:22 UTC