Vol. 72, Issue 8
March 24 - March 31, 2026
Est. 1981
THE PAISANO
Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio Community
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Professors stress awareness about war with Iran
By Emma Cavanaugh
F
Distribution Manager
or nearly half a century, the U.S. and Iran have dealt with international political tensions and disputes. Today, conflicts between the U.S. and the Middle East have grown stronger; UT San Antonio Political Science Professors commented on their personal behalf, not representing the institution. U.S. missiles struck Iran on Feb. 28, hitting an elementary school, according to the New York Times. This strike is under military investigation, but it allegedly marked the start of the U.S. military’s Operation Epic Fury — a joint campaign with the Israel Defense Forces. Last Wednesday, the U.S. military stated that it has struck more than 7,800 targets across Iran and damaged more than 120 of the country’s navy ships since Feb. 28; similarly, the IDF said it has carried out more than 7,600 strikes, killing many Iranian leaders, including their Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Due to recent events, Director of Interdisciplinary School for Engagement,
Political Science and Geography Professor Matthias Hofferberth, Ph.D., and Political Science and Geography Associate Professor Ritu Mathur, Ph.D. offered their insights into the U.S.-Israel and Iran conflict. The professors’ views do not represent the views of UT San Antonio; they stated on record that these are their own viewpoints as individuals. In a CNBC report by the National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent — who resigned in response to the attack on Iran stated that the U.S. was not under an imminent threat. “Wars are expensive, and wars often have to be the very last resort,” Mathur said. Mathur explained that under the United Nations charter, “countries must exhaust all tools with regard to diplomacy before they undertake any act of aggression, and must be in the case of self-defense.” “This [war] was actually an act of choice,” Mathur said. “This is definitely an act of aggression, a war of aggression against Iran.” Additional concerns about President Donald Trump’s
“Unemployment is rising already in this country. So this is going to create a lot of hardships for the succeeding generations.”
administration’s precautions taken in starting a conflict with Iran arose. “[Trump] is raising short-term concerns and security risks,” Hofferberth said. “If you do analysis, security is a little bit more at risk today than it was before February 28th.” “I don’t think the U.S. will be safer next year.”According to a NYT video report detailing who declares war, the U.S. has not officially declared war. Under Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, only Congress holds the authority to declare war. “There’s an immediate legal consequence once you officially declare this is a war, which leads to more supervision, more control, more involvement from the Parliament, from Congress,” Hofferberth stated. Furthermore, Trump has denied ownership of the Feb. 28 attack, according to a Politico report. The Associated Press claims the missile was likely a U.S. military mistake caused by outdated intelligence. The U.S. military has a history of civilian casualties after failing to accurately aim airstrikes, and many of these incidents have occurred within the decade in the Middle East. Hofferberth interpreted Israel’s influence on the U.S. attack on Iran. “When it comes to military capacities, I don’t want to diminish the power of the U.S., but I think there’s something to be
said about, they can’t do it without Israel, just intelligence wise,” Hofferberth stated. “But also, there’s a good amount of strikes being carried out by the IDF.” Since launching its conflict with Iran, the U.S. has been on high alert for domestic attacks. Hofferberth analyzed how international conflicts cause political tension within countries due to globalization. “We’ve seen decades of global migration and technology that crosses borders every day,” Hofferberth said. “If you think about means to get people to commit political violence and to radicalize folks around the world, this is all much easier in the globalized world we live in today.” Mathur further examined how the conflict undermines U.S. stability. “The cost of everything is going to rise. Unemployment is rising already in this country, so this is going to create a lot of hardships for the succeeding generations,” she said. Mathur stressed the need for student awareness of the conflict. “Many human rights organizations are talking about how the U.S. is declining into authoritarianism,” Mathur cautioned. “[The] American public has to basically become more vocal about what they want from this president and what they want from this administration — and if they want to stop this war, then they have to speak about it.”
Camp Mystic can reopen, is barred from rebuilding By Cooper Bryant Photographer
Travis County Judge Maya Guerra Gamble ruled that Camp Mystic — the all-girls summer camp where 24 campers and three camp officials died in the July 4 Central Texas flood last year — can open this summer but must keep damaged cabins intact and refrain from using the Guadalupe campsite entirely. This ruling comes from a case that is part of several lawsuits levied against Camp Mystic’s response to July’s deadly flood. The case was brought on by Will and CiCi Steward, parents of 8-year-old, Cile Steward, the only Camp Mystic victim whose body remains unrecovered. Alleging that construction and remodeling would “undermine the truthseeking function” and “stymie the search for the truth,” the Stewards were seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction until their trial began. “What we’re trying to do is preserve the evidence that’s there so that we can understand, so that future campers will never be put in a situation like this again,” Will Steward expressed. The Stewards’ case hearing began March 4, with other parents who lost children in the flood and camp supporters in attendance. Camp Mystic’s defendants claimed that little preventive action could have been taken. “Nobody had ever seen a prior flood anything like we saw in 2025,” Camp Mystic attorney Mikal Watts said. “The worst thing you can do is put a bunch
of 8-year-olds on a bus and try to drive them out of there. They all would have drowned.” Edward Eastland, expert witness and son of camp owner Richard Eastland, expressed similar sentiments. Edward Eastland claimed under oath that there was nobody watching the camp’s security cameras when water began rising past midnight and that he could not confirm the existence of a flood evacuation plan. The Stewards allege in their suit that
the camp lacked adequate disaster safety measures and that camp administrators were grossly negligent in their conduct. “They didn’t have a plan, and they don’t have a plan moving forward,” Cici Steward said. “I have never been more uncomfortable and disheartened than I was watching Edward Eastland on the stand,” Cici Steward told reporters in Austin. Guerra Gamble clarified that the injunction “does include not using the Katelyn Stanford/The Paisano
Guadalupe campsite for any purpose until further order of the court, so that means if you currently use the main office to run the Cypress site, you’re going to have to move those people out.” Guerra Gamble directed attorneys from different cases and suits against Camp Mystic to convene and create a clear, defined discovery plan. Guerra Gamble suggested that the plan include a map of boundaries between different areas of the camp to keep proceedings swift. “Once this physical evidence is altered or destroyed, it cannot be recreated, and no adequate remedy at law exists to restore the evidence,” Guerra Gamble wrote in a court order. Attorneys representing both suing families and Camp Mystic supported Guerra Gamble in her decision. “We’re glad Judge Gamble gave everyone a full opportunity to be heard,” family attorney Brad Beckworth said after the hearing. With over 850 campers signed up for the upcoming summer, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick urged regulators not to renew Camp Mystic’s license until proceedings are finished. Patrick previously sent a letter to Commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services Jennifer Shuford, echoing claims of negligence. “I’m asking this agency not to renew their license, in fact, it should have been revoked already, but not to renew their license if it’s requested by Camp Mystic,” Patrick said in a video posted to X on March 13.