The Soleimani effect: a risk for small states in Europe

ABSTRACT

The assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani by the United States has initiated debates about its reverberations on regional and global security. While it could have been a rational policy by the United States on the national level, this action has carried along innovative features defining what is a legally acceptable self-defence that international law would also accommodate. Namely, if the United States can unilaterally and retroactively interpret the meaning of international law in such a way, there are other powers like Russia or China who may wish to take advantage of such a tactic and expand the formerly relatively stable meaning of law unilaterally in line with their own national interests. Russia has previously given high importance in following the Western path and precedencies, so even when the current thesis is hypothetical and with high odds in upcoming years, it is worthy of consideration and probability analysis.

KEYWORDS:

• Soleimani
• United States
• Russia
• international law
• lawfare
• NATO

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Viljar Veebel

Viljar Veebel is a Researcher of the Department of Political and Strategic Studies at the Baltic Defence College. He holds a Doctoral Degree in political science (Ph.D.) from University of Tartu. He has worked as an Academic Advisor of the Estonian government in the European Future Convention and as a Researcher for OSCE, SIDA, the European Council on Foreign Relations, Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, and Eurasia Group.

Illimar Ploom

Illimar Ploom works as an Associated Professor in the Department of Strategic Studies, Estonian Military Academy, Riia, Estonia.

Zdzislaw Sliwa

Zdzislaw Sliwa works in the Department of Strategic Studies at the Baltic Defence College in Tartu, Estonia.