We are witnessing a worrying resurgence of war as a tool of international politics. Public opinion is being shaped by media narratives. The architecture of the United Nations, conceived in the aftermath of the Second World War, has become completely anachronistic. The lack of consensus at the un Headquarters in New York regarding the numerous proposals for regional reform, put forward by Italy in the 1990s, has led to the emergence of humanitarian catastrophes linked to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Middle East and the Persian Gulf. The first paradox emerging from an analysis of underestimated vulnerabilities in the Gulf region is that Iran, by virtue of its millennia-old historical tradition in hydraulic engineering, relies on desalination plants for only approximately one per cent of its water supply, thanks to the widespread utilisation of inland and rainwater. This historical legacy spares it from the enormous challenges that, by contrast, beset the water supply of the Gulf States, which are almost entirely dependent on desalination infrastructure and the quality of the seawater off their coasts. In this regard, spills of crude oil and fuels from oil tankers and other vessels generally pollute that marine area, which has little turnover of substantial volumes of water. The first paradox that emerges from an analysis of underestimated vulnerabilities in the Gulf region is that the exposure of water resources – which are essential to the survival of the civilian population – to danger could take different forms depending on the methods of combat adopted by the warring states. The situation of widespread armed conflict is causing the worst disruption to life-saving humanitarian work since the covid era: this has been highlighted by sources at the United Nations World Food Programme. The war in Iran and the resulting unrest it has caused in the Strait of Hormuz have given extraordinary impetus to the use of new and old road trade routes. A road corridor has been established that starts in Turkey, crosses Iraq and reaches the Gulf States and Afghanistan. A shared simplification of customs documentation has been implemented on a regional basis. The ecological crisis linked to the spill and burning of hydrocarbons during the 1991 conflict took on the characteristics of a veritable instrument of environmental destruction. Another serious concern relates to the vulnerability of the sites involved in the development of Iran’s nuclear programme. Italy has played a leading role on the international stage in promoting a more advanced standard of legal civilisation, appropriate to the new era. The response to the challenges posed by the current crisis lies in the legal significance that International Criminal Court will be able to attain in safeguarding human dignity. The Rome Statute assigns the International Criminal Court a historic role in upholding respect for international humanitarian law. One of the modern milestones in the significance of the principles of humanity was laid in ancient Rome, as we should remember today, thanks in part to Italy’s steadfast contribution.