Challenges to International Law in the Grey Zone

A day of expert analysis, discussion, and exchange

This symposium examines the interface between the international legal system and the high-risk, multi-layered threat environment created by the revolutionary regime in Iran and other similar Islamist movements.

These threats includes nuclear proliferation concerns (including uranium enrichment and the potential development of nuclear weapons), missile and drone capabilities, and the systematic use of proxy actors such as Hezbollah and Hamas. These dimensions are reinforced by efforts in the “Grey Zone” – activities below the threshold of open armed conflict to achieve strategic objectives – such destabilizing oil markets or harm global economies, promoting terrorism around the globe, transnational organized crime and drug trafficking cartels associated with Iran’s proxy Hezbollah and other non-state actors, and the deliberate manipulation of Western-based legal systems.

Taken together, these elements form a coordinated threat ecosystem in which state and non-state actors jointly contribute to cause sustained and strategic harm.

Hybrid actors such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, and Hamas, operating globally through transnational networks and often in coordination with state actors, challenge existing legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.

The existant international legal infrastructure — including the prohibition of the use of force, law of belligerent occupation, human rights, the right to self-defence, and law of genocide — are increasingly contested and, arguably, insufficient to address contemporary realities.

This symposium will examine the extent to which international law and legal systems enable – or restrict – efforts to meet these threats. The discussion will focus on the implications of these developments for international law, as well as for European and global governance.

Bringing together leading scholars, legal practitioners, and engaged participants, the event aims to foster serious analysis, meaningful dialogue, and practical insights.

Please note : prior registration is required.