They signal a deeper crisis in the foundations of the international order that has governed global affairs since the end of the Second World War. The strikes on Iran, conducted without the authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, therefore raise serious legal and moral questions. The United States, as the principal architect of the post-Cold War order, now faces its own dilemma. The philosopher Immanuel Kant argued that durable peace requires not merely the absence of war but the presence of institutions, norms and mutual recognition that make war increasingly irrational. What is required now is strategic restraint, serious diplomacy and a renewed commitment to the principles that once underpinned the international order.

Source: The Edge Markets March 12, 2026 10:15 UTC