While Trump seems to constantly change his mind as to what he wants from the Iran War, he has indicated that to end it, Iran must declare an “unconditional surrender.” Anyone following the just war tradition knows that this is an illegitimate goal; wars must be fought defensively, and their goal must be a cessation hostilities which allows for restorative justice (and the enemies reconciling, if possible). Unconditional surrender is not about justice, but revenge (or, in a situation in which a county unjustly attacks another country, and the demand for unconditional surrender comes from the aggressor, it means allowing the invader to do whatever they want). When I hear Trump talking about “unconditional surrender,” I suspect it means Trump wants Iran to do everything Trump and his friends and associates want, no matter what, even if the demand are gravely unjust. And, if recent history has any say, it seems that one thing Trump wants from Iran is access and control over its oil, using it to make himself (and his family and friends), even richer. How is this just? It isn’t.
We should not just be concerned about Trump. I can, in some way, understand his objectives. They are selfish. He might be willing to do many things to get what he wants, but he is not the tactician, the one establishing the means the war is being waged. We should be concerned with those who are directing our war. That is, Hegseth. And it seems to me that Hegseth, and what he has said and done, is worse. Hegseth has shown his bloodlust, that he has a desire to attack and destroy others; he has made it clear that he has no interest in waging the war following traditional rules of engagement. He acts as if might makes right, not rules or principles (which he thinks gets in the way of the United States showing its might). No wonder he has said that all the Iranian people should be afraid: “The only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians that think they’re going to live.” He thinks anyone in Iran is fair game. This is why we should not be surprised that schools, among other places just war theory says are not to be targeted, are places which are being bombed, with countless innocents being sacrificed to satisfy Hegseth’s bloodlust.
It should be obvious, for those following the just war tradition, that the war the United States is waging against Iran is unjust, not only because its objectives are unjust, but because of the way it wages the war is unjust as well. War cannot be a free for all. The ends do not justify the means. The war must have proper objectives, and the conduct involved in its execution must be such as to limit the harm done, especially to innocents. Morally, the war against Iran must be rejected. This does not mean the Iranian regime is just, or is not to be resisted, but that resistance must be done the right way, and not in a way which imitates (or does worse) than what it does to its people.
I am glad to hear that Pope Leo XIV continues to push for an end to hostilities, pointing out that what the United States is doing is wrong, warning us that the only thing which will come out of it is more, and worse violence. He wants us to pray that “the roar of bombs might cease, that weapons might fall silent, and that a space for dialogue might open, in which the voice of the peoples may be heard.” The voice of the people, both in the United States, and in Iran, is not being heard. While the United States sometimes justifies its actions based upon the innocents in Iran harmed or killed by the Iranian regime, they are but tools and excuses for the United States to wage war; if the United States cared about them, they would not be targets. Indeed, it would be extra-careful, protecting them, making sure their suffering does not become worse.
I do not know how or when the war is going to end. Sometimes, I think that Trump wants a quick victory, believing it will make him look great, which is why he has been pushing the notion that the war is almost over. He certainly likes it when people praise him. However, I fear that in this instance, he is saying this with the hope that the people will believe him, but he knows it is not the case. Why would he do that? Because he thinks it will stop some of them from criticizing him, making sure they are not thinking ahead and preparing to stop him when the scope of the war widens. Even if he wanted it to be over, I don’t think it will be easy to end it. He has, as it were, stirred up a hornet’s nest. It is likely that there will be terrorist attacks in the United States (if they have not already started), and it would not surprise me if at least one will have results which rivals 9-11. I also fear, at least in the back of my mind, that this is what Trump (or at least some in his administration) wants, for then it can be a Pearl Harbor (or 9-11) event, an event which can be used to manipulate the emotions of Americans so that they back his war efforts. It’s why I was more than a little suspicions when I heard that Kash Patel fired many FBI agents who were tracking and dealing with Iranian terrorist threats days before the war began. Was he not informed of Trump’s plans? If he was, how could he justify that? Just as there are speculations as to what intelligence the United States had before Pearl Harbor was attacked, and if the government let the attack happen to justify US entry into the war, people are going to speculate whether or not the dismissal of those agents was to make sure the US is vulnerable to an attack so that, in the aftermath, the people will back the next stage of the war. This, of course, is part of the problem with war, especially when war is waged unjustly; violence spreads, and the more it spreads, the more people will feel justified in engaging more, and worse violence, in response. The Iranian government seems to feel it is justified if it launches a terrorist attack within the United States, and it seems that it would consider such an attack a defensive action in response to what the United States not only has done, but threatens to do. If and when that happens, the United States will justify its response based upon the terrorist attack, a response which will likely be worse than the strikes which begun the war. The circle of violence will continue, until someone finally says no more. And this is what the Pope, and other Catholic officials, are trying to do, not only explaining why the war is unjust, but also what will happen so long as people give in to the way of violence and death. We must work to end war as fast and just way as possible. I was glad to read this being one of the messages Cardinal McElroy gave in an interview for the Catholic Standard (released March 9, 2026):
Finally, and most importantly we must insure that this war does not turn into a prolonged conflict, lurching from goal to goal and from strategy to strategy. One of the most important Catholic teachings on war and peace is that nations have the strict obligation to end a war as soon as possible. This is particularly true when the decision to go to war was not morally legitimate. There is a logic to war that presses onward, escalating in its dimensions and timeline. Our country has fallen victim to this logic of war in the recent past, especially in the Middle East. We must all work together to forbid this expansionism to lead us into an ongoing morass in Iran.
Ever since I took a class while studying for my Religious Studies degree at Indiana University which dealt with the ways of war in Abrahamic Religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), I have been having dealing with and contemplating the notions of just war and their implications for Christians. At that time, I was not yet Catholic, and I was far more supportive of the notion of war in general (I was a big supporter of “Operation Desert Storm” when it happened). But, over time, I have become a pacifist, not an absolute pacifist, but someone who believes Christians must work for and promotes the ways of peace. I accept that there might be times when a defensive engagement might be necessary (albeit, if that happens, those involved with it will need spiritual healing when it is done). I have seen the way wars are fought, and seen how often people excuse grave evils due to the fact that it is war. No Christian should allow such a position stand. They should know that war, as with everything else, requires us to act in as just fashion as possible, and deliberate engagements with grave evils can lead to mortal sin. However, I have seen how Christians can be led astray by the way I was manipulated to support the first Gulf War. Afterwards, I have seen others being manipulated to support other, worse wars. Knowing what I know about war and justice, I am no longer manipulated by propaganda. I know we must stand with what is right and just, which is why I strongly reject the war in Iran. It is an unjust war, not only because its goals are not defined, so that there is no legitimate way to say the cause is just, but because it is clearly being waged unjustly. I know I must speak out which is what I do. I hope those who need to will hear what I have to say will do so and not be duped. Similarly, I hope others will speak out, giving other reasons why we must stop the insanity which lies before us. And then, together, I hope we can find ways to make the war come to an end and help those who have been unjustly hurt by it (which includes, but is not limited to, many in Israel, Lebanon, Iran, and the United States).
Now, as I was born in, live in, and am a citizen of the United States, I focus more on it and what it does in the world than other countries. I am justified, not only because it is where I live, and so where I connected to, but because of the power and influence it has in the world scene. It is important to note that when the United States begun the war, it didn’t do so all alone. Israel was in on it from the beginning. And as we have seen, this has caused the war to expand in the Middle East. Israel is using the situation to attack other countries, once again, in ways which violate basic just war principles. To be sure, when we see what is going on, we must make a clear distinction between the people in the countries involved, and the governments. In the United States, we have many opposed to Trump, speaking up against Trump and his war, and so it would be wrong to label all Americans warmongers because of Trump. Similarly, in Israel, there are many who are opposed to what its government is doing, many who resist what Prime Minister Netanyahu has and continues to do, and so they should not be judged for what he and his government does. The same, of course, should be said in relation to the Jews. Netanyahu does not represent them, but only himself and his own agenda. It would be wrong to use his actions to support antisemitism. Similarly, we should not look to the regime in Iran and use it to represent all Muslims, producing rhetoric which leads to Islamophobia. At the core, there are a few who are most at fault for this war, and they must be stopped, and properly dealt with. Until then, we need to pray, as Pope Leo said, for the war to end, but with that prayer, we must lift up our voice in opposition to it and do what we can to bring it to as swift (and as peaceful) end as possible. As always, our prayer must lead to action. The innocents in Iran, Lebanon, Israel, the United States, and indeed, the world, who suffer as a result of this warm are relying upon us; let us not disappoint them.
* This Is Another Post From My Personal (Informal) Reflections And Speculations Series
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