Is It Moral To Bomb Iran?
A week before the United States military action in Iran, I did a TikTok video and Facebook Reel on this question: “Would it be moral to use Bunker Busting Bombs to destroy Iran Nuclear Sites? ” I have a lot of followers who often wonder about these types of questions. I had no problem answering, “Yes.” What troubled me more was the fact that, to my knowledge, no other Catholic leader or theologian, in fact, no Protestant authority either, addressed this question before the military action on June 21.
Why is it that Catholic leaders cannot speak on the morality of these types of actions before they happen? Our people deserve a little guidance. And this one was a no-brainer. There were a few viewers who disagreed with me, but they couldn’t fault my logic.
The Just War Theory And The Use Of Military Force Against Iran
I have never met a moral question on military force that was easier than this one. It addresses and supports all the key points of the just war theory. Now that the military action has occurred, we can assess how it meets the criteria. It was defensive–Iran has killed over a thousand of our soldiers over the years, many others through their proxies, and represented a clear and present danger with a nuclear threat aimed exclusively at Israel and the United States. The proposed action was proportionate–we focused on attacking only the nuclear sites and not targeting civilians or even soldiers, and we did not seek regime change. The proposed action was done by the proper authority and with the right intention–namely, to deprive Iran only of the ability to conduct nuclear war. It was also a last resort — diplomacy had failed countless times with Iran. Finally, the proposed action had a reasonable chance of success.
President Trump, even at the last moment, held out the possibility of a diplomatic solution. Iran rejected this. The military action then went forward. It was a resounding success. And yet–the howls of immorality, the cries of unconstitutionality, the criticism of the U.S.A., with the even harsher critique and condemnation of President Trump were the first responses not only in the United States, but around the world. Shouldn’t the Catholic Church have spoken out sooner? Theologians, Bishops, and Priests are so reticent to be proactive. The Bishops even had a national meeting just days before this action, when the subject was being discussed all over the media. Nothing. Nothing came from them. That’s a failure of religious leadership when it was needed most. However, the vast majority of these spiritual leaders would most likely counsel against the military action and push for more diplomacy. They come close to appeasing evil. They would make this decision believing force should never be the answer. They would be wrong. The just war theory doesn’t agree with them.
Sometimes, a country must use military force, and sometimes, it is the most moral action possible. The modern age doesn’t like to talk about good or evil. But if ever there was a case that delineated this division, Iran’s lust for nukes is one of them. When I say Iran, I mean that terrorist cartel that speaks for this ancient country and somehow has managed to get a seat in the United Nations. It is a terrorist governing body that does not represent the Persian people. Evil has corrupted it, and the perpetrators in this organization seek to rain down nuclear destruction on the world. Their intent is a civilization killer. The cartel represents an extreme Islamic ideology that seeks an apocalypse with a Mahdi (Savior) rising out of it to bring destruction on everything that has gone before. No one can negotiate when such darkness subsumes those who embrace this ideology.
Now that the military action has occurred, we can add several good outcomes to the original proposition. President Trump and his team had planned that force might need to be used. The action was kept absolutely secret, which saved lives, and was flawlessly planned so that no American soldiers, pilots, sailors, or adjunct supporters were hurt. Iran never knew we were there till we were gone, and so they never fired a shot. This military endeavor will go down in history as a catalyst for change and a military operation like no other since D-Day.
Military Force Can Bring About Diplomacy and Peace
Yet, there are stumbling blocks ahead. Critics worry about consequences, and they are right to do so. These have not yet happened, and in this case, consequences must take a back seat to the overarching moral duty to act in the face of a nuclear threat. When the consequences manifest themselves, we must make new moral decisions. If Iran retaliates, we will need to reassess our response. We must avoid all-out war. We will still need to seek a diplomatic solution. On Sunday, June 22, Pope Leo made fascinating comments. He worried about the new events in Iran, but did not condemn the United States. He could have, but he didn’t. He also said that, in the end, diplomacy would be the only way this ended well, echoing the words of President Trump. It seems that the forces of good have a little breathing space here, but we can never reject the call to peaceful solutions.
The fog of war often causes even the righteous nations to make terrible mistakes or choose immoral actions to achieve their goals. What happened here happened with the clear light of reason operating. There was no fog, mist, or unclear path to take. Preserving the peace by appeasing evil brings only disaster. The bunker-busting bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites has saved the world and dealt the darkest and most evil ideology operating on this planet a decisive defeat. And that’s a Catholic point of view you can trust.
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