When Do the Rules Apply?

The administration claimed the attack was self-defense against Iranian-backed forces in the region.  Biden had campaigned on revitalizing U.S.-Iran relations by rejoining the nuclear deal that Trump had walked away from. Yet, like so many presidents before him, he reached for the military option rather than a diplomatic one.  This isn’t surprising. But it is illegal.  The Pentagon claimed that the strikes were retaliation for attacks by an Iraqi Shiite militia against American and coalition personnel. The administration apparently judged that a military response in Iraq would be politically complicated, so they struck an alleged militia base in Syria instead.