The 25 February 2021 military strikes and the ‘armed attack’ requirement of self-defence: from ‘sina qua non’ to the point of vanishing?

Following a rocket attack that occurred at Erbil airport in Iraq, President Biden authorised the first use of military force since becoming on 25 February 2021. This was legally justified basis self-defence. On face it this seemed an innocuous justification. Yet, article argues through both downplaying treaty source right self-defence and its express requirement for armed attack, as well promoting contextual enabling form necessity, administration’s action ensuing strategy legal justification place question marks over meaning of, even for, attack. However, seeing incident context broader US other state practice, while various attempts diluting interpretation provided to by International Court Justice have been sustained, others clearly not.