Journal of Legal Research

Journal of Legal Research

The Syrian War and the Doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect from the Perspective of International Law

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohammad Eari 1
Iraj Rezaeinezhad 2
karan rohani 3
1 Department of Law, QaS.C., Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran.
2 Department of Law, Cha.C., Islamic Azad University, Chalus, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, QaS.C., Islamic Azad University, Ghaemshahr, Iran.
10.48300/jlr.2025.517260.2913
Abstract
The doctrine of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was adopted at the 2005 United Nations World Summit and incorporated into paragraphs 138 and 139 of the Outcome Document. The Syrian Arab Republic is one of the strategically significant states in the Middle East. Despite efforts by the Syrian government and the international community to restore civilian security, the commission of crimes against humanity and inhumane acts by armed groups has not been prevented. This study, employing a descriptive-analytical approach, examines the legality of military intervention in Syria under the doctrines of humanitarian intervention and the Responsibility to Protect, with reference to the express provisions of the United Nations Charter, the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations among States, the positions of the Security Council, and the foundations of customary and treaty-based international law. The findings indicate that military intervention in Syria justified on the basis of humanitarian intervention or the Responsibility to Protect lacks legal legitimacy due to its inconsistency with the express provisions of the UN Charter, the Declaration on Friendly Relations, the opposition of the Security Council, and the absence of a clear legal basis in customary and conventional international law. Furthermore, an assessment of the Security Council’s approach toward the Syrian crisis and its relationship with humanitarian intervention, particularly within the framework of the Responsibility to Protect doctrine, demonstrates a certain tension between realist interpretations of state conduct and the normative claims underlying humanitarian intervention.
Keywords
Responsibility to Protect
Syria
Humanitarian Intervention
Peacekeeping Operations
Principle of Non-Intervention
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Journal of Legal Research
Volume 25, Issue 66
Summer 2026
Pages 233-257