Photo: Responsible Statecraft
The article examines whether the United States is still legally considered to be at war with Iraq under international law, focusing on how modern conflicts are classified and how current U.S. military involvement is interpreted.
It argues that the situation is generally viewed as a non-international armed conflict involving state forces and non-state armed groups, rather than a formal war between two states. The central legal issue is whether Iraq itself is directly engaged in hostilities or whether operations are limited to counterterrorism against armed groups, News.Az reports, citing Just Security.
Legal experts cited in the discussion say the classification depends on the level of state involvement and whether there is sustained, organized armed confrontation meeting the threshold of international armed conflict.
The analysis adds that U.S. activities in Iraq, including advisory roles and counterterrorism operations, do not automatically amount to an international armed conflict. It concludes that the legal status remains debated and depends on how the facts on the ground evolve over time.