The United States-Cuba Oil Embargo and International Law
In January 2026 the United States issued Executive Order 14380, adding duties on any country that supplies oil to Cuba. The Supreme Court later struck down portions of those tariffs, but the national‑emergency declaration and related sanctions remain in force. The measures have produced a strong deterrent effect, prompting a Russian tanker to reroute and causing Mexico to cease oil shipments to Havana. While no vessels have been seized directly under the Cuba‑oil embargo, enforcement has been linked to broader sanctions on Venezuela, Iran and Russia, and the embargo has triggered severe blackouts and humanitarian concerns in Cuba.
Early Edition: April 29, 2026
President Trump has directed aides to ready an extended maritime blockade of Iran as diplomatic talks stall, while the U.S. Treasury announced tougher sanctions on Iran’s shadow‑banking network and warned against Chinese oil purchases. The United Arab Emirates announced its...
To Counter Rising Political Violence, America Needs to Reinforce Its Early Warning Infrastructure
A new real‑time monitoring system built by Princeton's Bridging Divides Initiative shows political violence in the United States surged in 2025, with targeted attacks up 34% and threats against members of Congress climbing 58%. The trend extends beyond Washington, D.C.,...
The Unraveling of the North Atlantic Bargain
The transatlantic security bargain that underpinned Europe for seven decades is unraveling as the United States shifts from an unconditional NATO guarantee to a conditional, subscription‑style service. European leaders now confront an external environment where American commitments can be repriced,...
Fool’s Gold: Speaker Johnson’s Section 702 Proposal Would Place No Limits on Backdoor Searches
Speaker Mike Johnson introduced a new House proposal to reauthorize Section 702 of the FISA, but it mirrors the previously rejected plan and imposes no warrant requirement on the government’s backdoor searches of incidentally collected American communications. The bill retains...
Digest of Recent Articles on Just Security (Apr. 19-24, 2026)
Just Security’s April 19‑24 digest aggregates fifteen new pieces spanning war‑law analysis of the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict, Ukraine child‑rights concerns, and Russia‑Ukraine legal debates, alongside domestic policy examinations of FISA Section 702 reforms, a Supreme Court case affecting 12.8 million green‑card holders, and Trump‑era...
Cybersecurity Meets Geopolitics at Top EU Court
Advocate General Tamara Ćapeta issued a non‑binding advisory opinion in the Elisa Eesti v Estonia case, concluding that EU law permits member states to exclude hardware and software from telecom networks when the supplier is deemed a national‑security risk. The opinion validates...
On the State Department Memorandum “Operation Epic Fury and International Law”
On April 21, 2026 State Department Legal Adviser Reed Rubinstein issued the Trump administration’s longest public legal memorandum defending Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. war against Iran. The memo argues the conflict is part of an ongoing armed war and that the...
Early Edition: April 24, 2026
The United States intensified its naval campaign against Iran, seizing a second Iranian oil tanker and deploying the USS George H.W. Bush strike group with over 4,000 troops while President Trump ordered the Navy to fire on any mine‑laying vessels...
On Ambassador Waltz’s Defense of Potential Law of War Violations in Iran Conflict
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz defended President Trump’s threats to destroy Iran’s power plants, bridges and other infrastructure, arguing that dual‑use civilian assets can be lawful targets under the law of armed conflict. Legal experts counter that...
The Meta Oversight Board’s Advisory Opinion on Global Community Notes Rollout: Another Check on Platform Power?
On March 26, Meta’s Oversight Board issued an advisory opinion on the planned global rollout of Community Notes, the platform’s crowdsourced fact‑checking tool. The Board warned that a uniform rollout could cause real‑world harms in conflict zones, repressive regimes, and...
Improvidently Granted: The Sleeper Supreme Court Case Affecting the Rights of 12.8 Million Green Card Holders
The Supreme Court will hear Blanche v. Lau on April 22, a case in which the Solicitor General seeks to give DHS unchecked authority to seize green cards and place lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in indefinite parole after any foreign...
Early Edition: April 20, 2026
Iran’s foreign minister announced a conditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, limited to routes near Iran’s coast and only while the Lebanon ceasefire holds. The United States responded with a naval strike on the Iranian‑flagged cargo ship Touska after...
The Missing Convener: NSC’s Diminished Role and the Future of U.S. Investment Security
The National Security Council’s (NSC) staffing cuts and the removal of its senior adviser have crippled its traditional role as the inter‑agency convener for U.S. investment security. While the Department of Justice’s Data Security Program and Commerce’s connected‑vehicle rule succeeded...
The Constitution’s Forgotten Term Limit on Military Power
The Constitution’s Article I, Section 8, Clause 12—known as the Two‑Year Clause—originally limited Army appropriations to biennial funding, but a 1904 Solicitor General opinion narrowed its scope to pay only. Recent legislation, notably the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allocated $156 billion in four‑year military funding,...