This is an article from the June 2025 Civitas Examiner (Volume 2, No. 3) and was written by one of our students, Gavin D. The opinions expressed herein do not reflect those of Civitas other than respect for the value of open dialogue. To read more Civitas Examiner stories or to submit your own, click here.
Late Saturday night on June 21st, the U.S. military carried out multiple strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. These strikes sent shockwaves throughout the world, as the United States announced the beginning of its involvement in the Israel-Iran war.
Shortly after the strikes concluded, both the United States and Israel revealed them to the public as a great success. President Trump, in particular, praised the strikes and presented the three nuclear sites as being “totally obliterated.” Analysis of satellite imagery, however, revealed that though the sites were heavily damaged, they remain intact, meaning that Iran’s nuclear program was not completely destroyed.
With the strikes over, attention immediately turned to the response of Iran and the rest of the world. Iran promised retaliation against the United States, a promise that sent many cities across the U.S. into high alert as fears of terrorist attacks increased dramatically. Shortly after, Russia condemned the strikes, saying that America had crossed a “very dangerous line” and adding that it was considering loaning nuclear weapons to Iran for its defense.
These responses highlight the problem with the strikes against the Iranian nuclear sites. We as a nation should support Israel, but we should not put the safety of our nation and that of our allies in danger. For example, Qatar, an ally of the United States, has had to close its airspace and shoot down Iranian missiles because it houses a U.S. base. If it weren’t for the bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites, those attacks would never have happened.
As well, the U.S. should not begin a conflict on the assumption that weapons of mass destruction are being produced. That exact reason is why the U.S. invaded Iraq in the spring of 2003, leading to thousands of casualties. If we continue to escalate the situation with Iran in a similar fashion to Iraq, the outcome may well end up being the same, if not worse.
Furthermore, because of the U.S. strikes on Iran, tensions across the Middle East have risen drastically. Iran has threatened to cut off the Strait of Hormuz, potentially slowing down oil distribution and production. The Gulf League has condemned Iran’s strikes on Qatar, calling the strikes “unacceptable.” As well, multiple nations, including Qatar, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, have had to temporarily close their airspace, halting hundreds of planes. All of these events were caused by the strikes in Iran or Iran’s response, showing how much influence the United States’ attack has had.
Overall, if we as a nation use force in hostile situations, we leave ourselves, our allies, and entire regions open to danger both violently and economically. We should still support Israel in its war against Iran, but using direct and swift force only escalates the situation. Because we are one of the most powerful nations in the world, we must use our platform to promote diplomacy and cooperation instead of violence and destruction.
