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Letter to the Editor: Welcoming Judge Curtis Bowe to Collegedale Volume 81 Issue 18
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Pressing Issue, page 2 A conflict still lived beyond the headlines March 25, 2026
Collegedale, Tennessee
Conflict in Iran: An Uncertain Future
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks during a press briefing about Operation Epic Fury at the Pentagon, March 4, 2026. (Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza, sourced from the Department of War).
Leif Bromme Collegedale Reporter U.S. troops stationed across the Middle East watched Iranian missiles plunge into U.S. airbases and nearby buildings on Feb. 28. The retaliatory attacks came just hours after Israel and the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury -- a military offensive intended to assassinate Iran’s top officials and halt the country’s nuclear program. The conflict creates an uncertain future — not only for U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East, but also for leaders, locals and U.S. citizens. It has also ignited controversy, given its sudden and unexpected beginning. According to an article by The Annenberg Public Policy Center, the controversy is rooted in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which states that only Congress can declare war. The article shares the perspectives of several experts. Some argue that Trump’s decision was rash and unconstitutional. Others argue that previous presidents’ actions have set a precedent for the use of executive power in foreign intervention to maintain national security. Among Southern Adventist University students reactions to the controversy have been mixed. Freshman biology major, Emma Cortes, took issue with President Trump’s decision to start hostilities without congressional approval. “I’m not sure if it was a good move in the sense of following order and rules,” she said. “A lot of U.S. citizens and people in the army are being put at risk for this, too.” Kawai Oskins, a freshman culinary arts major, said elements of the a war with Iran can be justified based on the importance of proactive measures to protect the nation. “If I was on a plane and I announced to everybody that I had a bomb on the
plane, would you just sit there and do nothing, or would you actually take action?” he said. “It goes the same. [Iran] can't threaten the lives of other people without [the United States] taking action.” Junior general studies major, Andrew Miyashiro, believes precedent was not sufficient to warrant attacks. "I do not think it was good for the U.S. to invade Iran,” he said. “I believe it was unconstitutional. ...Just because there are bad and evil leaders of nations in the world, I am not certain that we possess the moral right to go in and remove them." In a video address posted to Truth Social, President Trump defended his reasons for the operation. He began by describing the hostility between the United States and Iran, pointing first to the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy by Iranian college students and militants. For 444 days, 52 Americans were held hostage. Trump also spoke of the 2000 attack of the U.S.S. Cole, arguing that Iranian influence and support for militant networks contributed to instability in the Middle East region. He referenced Iran’s “imminent” nuclear threat, his concerns about the regime’s alleged sponsorship of terrorist groups and its support of anti-Western sentiments. Concluding, Trump urged the Iranian people to take control of their government and create a more democratic society. He also emphasized the risks of war. “My administration is taking every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region,” he explained. “Even so and I do not make this statement lightly the Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war. But we're doing this not for now. We're doing this for the future.” Because of the immense human cost of armed conflict, many societies expect
it should be used by world leaders only when unavoidable. In this case, some critics question whether that condition was met. Before this year, the most recent preventative mechanism against Iran’s nuclear program was the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 agreement made between the U.S., Iran and other world powers. According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, “[Iran] agreed to cap uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent — enough for civilian power generation but far below the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade uranium — and allow monitoring in exchange for lifting sanctions.” The JCPOA increased Iran’s breakout time –– the time it would take to enrich enough weapons-grade uranium for a warhead — to over a year. Monitoring under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also ensured that the international community would be aware should such developments occur. Business Standard explains that the United States exited the JCPOA in 2018, following Trump’s criticism that the deal was weak and failed to address other threats, such as alleged Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and ballistic missile programs. A stronger deal never replaced the decaying agreement, and the IAEA noted that, since the United States’ exit, Iran has ignored nuclear regulations. “Iran's enriched uranium stockpile has reached more than 27 times the allowable limit, with quantities enriched up to 60 percent, approaching weapons-grade levels,” the Business Standard article stated. In the same 2024 document, the IAEA reported that Iran’s breakout time had been reduced from over a year to less than a week; in addition, diminished inspection capabilities would prevent the international community from learning about such developments easily.
Though evidence allegedly supports the claim that Iran is enriching more uranium, a report by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggests that President Trump’s warnings of “imminent danger” are exaggerated. Even if Tehran “should decide to pursue the capability,” the report said that they will not have access to long-range ballistic missiles until at least 2035. More Student Voices Though the longevity of the war is difficult to predict, there have already been significant geopolitical effects. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, which links Middle Eastern oil to the global market. Disruptions to crude oil shipments have already increased gas prices around the world. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial attacks, along with many Iranian government leaders, leaving behind a damaged regime. According to Al Jazeera, U.S. and Israeli attacks have already had devastating effects on civilian populations. At least 1,500 people have died in Iran, including 168 schoolgirls killed in a missile strike on an elementary school on the war's first day. 18,551 Iranians have been injured. Israeli bombings have also led to the death of 1,039 Lebanese people. At the time of this article’s publication, the war has also led to the deaths of 61 Iraqis, 18 Israelis, dozens of civilians from nearby countries, and 13 U.S. soldiers. Over 200 American soldiers have been injured. Ruslan Zavricico, senior film production major, said he remains neutral on the conflict because there is no objective truth in war. Zavricico was born in Azerbaijan, which neighbors Iran to the north. He spent his early years in multiple countries, including Georgia and KyrSee Iran on page 3
“My administration is taking every possible step to minimize the risk to U.S. personnel in the region.” - Donald Trump