The origins of international law date back to the mid-seventeenth century. European states began organizing their relations with one another, and in 1648 they signed the Treaty of Westphalia. This treaty marked the beginning of granting legitimacy to International Law, which influenced not only Europe but also all the countries of the world. Through it, the Christian kingdoms of Europe ended the wars that had lasted between them for decades and attempted to direct their combined power against the Uthmani Khilafah (Ottoman Caliphate).

At the Congress of Vienna, held in 1815, many issues arising from the revolutionary wars in France were discussed, and the conference concluded by defining the borders of the European continent. However, the colonialist powers were not satisfied with the boundaries that had divided them, which led to the outbreak of the First World War. In this war, the states that had unified around Germany were defeated, while the victorious side Britain, France, and Russia gained a large share. In 1919, the Paris Conference was held, after which the League of Nations was established.

Thus, public international law took shape and became a body of law regulating relations between states in both peace and war. The League of Nations was granted authority above the states, and it served Britain, which at that time was the leading power in the world.

Nevertheless, the defeated side in the First World War reignited the flames of conflict, leading to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The United States, which had emerged as a new superpower, intervened in the Second World War and dropped nuclear weapons on Japan.

As a result, the allies of the Tripartite Pact were defeated, and international law was reshaped once again. The United Nations was established, and it came to be managed by the states that had emerged victorious in the war, namely the United States, Britain, France, Russia, and China through the Security Council of the United Nations.

From this, it becomes clear that those who establish international law are the major powers that achieve victory in wars, or major powers whose strength becomes balanced to the point that they realize they cannot defeat one another. They then conclude agreements among themselves to regulate their relations, sign them, and subsequently turn them into international law. Therefore, if these major powers violate international laws, there is no authority capable of taking action against them; however, they may face strong opposition from other countries around the world.

For example, the United States’ entry into Iraq through war in 2003 constituted a major violation of international law. This also contributed to strengthening public opinion against the United States, and this strengthening was undertaken by a number of major countries, the foremost among them Britain. As a result, the United States attempted to reduce the impact of global public opinion.

In 2014, Russia’s seizure of Crimea, and later Putin’s attack on Ukraine in 2022 provoked by the United States was another major event that trampled on international law.

As for the Jewish entity, a protégé of the United States, it launched a war on Gaza in violation of all international laws, yet no action was taken against it. This clearly demonstrated the complete collapse of what is called international law.

Especially with the arrival of Trump to the presidency of the United States for a second term, it became clear that nothing called international law remained. He carried out the kidnapping of Venezuela’s President Maduro through a military operation without considering global public opinion or the positions of major powers. Not only that, but he also called for the annexation of Greenland and Canada to the United States, and accused a number of North American countries and their leaders of committing international crimes.

Trump then announced the establishment of a “Board of Peace” and held its first meeting. This came at a time when the United States had withdrawn from 66 international organizations, about half of which were affiliated with the United Nations. Trump appointed himself the permanent head of this council and reserved for himself alone the right to ratify its decisions. In doing so, he paid no attention to the previously existing international structure, nor to the other major global powers besides the United States.

This Board of Peace was designed as an alternative body to replace the United Nations and its Security Council. It has a new structure and a new voting system, and it forms a path completely parallel to the existing global order. At the same time, ten billion dollars were allocated to it, and the states under its influence were compelled to contribute another ten billion dollars. All of this indicates America’s desire to end the existing international order and establish a unipolar order in which it would be the sole commanding power and the ultimate decision-maker. In doing so, America clearly demonstrated that it does not accept international multipolarity and does not want any global power capable of competing with it for dominance over the world order.

This arrogant overreach opened the door for Trump to strike Iran once again. He did not stop there; he also seeks to change the regime in Iran in order to expand the influence of his protégé, the Jewish entity. More precisely, his aim is to reduce Iran’s regional role and turn it into a subordinate state incapable of posing any threat to the Jewish entity.

Accordingly, the changes in the current international scenario are accompanied by a collapse of international law, and competition for influence among major powers is expected to intensify in the coming phase. This is especially true with the declining significance of international agreements, as each major power will seek to maintain its influence within its own sphere.

Under such circumstances, the need for Islam, which was revealed as guidance and light for all of humanity, becomes even greater, as does the need for the Khilafah (Caliphate) state to implement it in life. The Khilafah is capable of providing effective solutions to the crises the world faces today, and can serve as a civilizational and legal reference acceptable to all people on earth.

[وَيَوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ]

“And on that day the believers will rejoice at the victory willed by Allah. He gives victory to whoever He wills. For He is the Almighty, Most Merciful.” [TMQ Surah Ar-Rum: 4-5].