On Feb. 28, the United States and Israel joined together in missile strikes targeting various cities across the nation of Iran. These attacks have prompted various reactions in State College, as well as across the world.
Iran has responded to US and Israeli attacks by attacking various US Military Bases in the Middle East, as well as cities whose nations are close allies of the US. These include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Cyprus, and the Kurdish region of Iraq.
The strikes within Iran follow months of historic protests against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Shia Muslim theocratic government. This theocratic government has had full control over the nation since a coup d’état sparked by American and British intelligence agencies in 1953.
For many, including State High teacher Brian Smith, the immediate effects of the war are daunting. Rising oil costs and slowed shipping times due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have already come to light. But the economic impacts are just one aspect of the war.
“I mean, first and foremost, with war, my main concern is casualties and fatalities, and we’re already seeing that. There’s a cost, and human lives are obviously the biggest cost,” Smith said.
Reports from various sources indicate that anywhere from 870 to 1045 casualties have already taken place as a result of the war.
Initially campaigned as the “Pro-Peace Ticket”, President Trump’s aggressive military strategy has been a major focal point of his administration. Strikes against Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, and Iran total more countries attacked than any other president in modern history.
For State High Senior Sam Garthwaite, the involvement of the United States overseas worries him about the direction and intent of the current administration.
“Looking back at the 2024 election and everything that Trump was saying, he totally lied…there are ulterior motives that aren’t being professed to the public. And I think those motives are being influenced and almost perpetuated by a foreign nation or multiple foreign nations,” Garthwaite said.
Garthwaite is not the only one who shares an uncertain sentiment about the aim of the war. When asked about the parallels between the current intervention in Iran and the intervention in Iraq beginning in 2003, Smith was open about noticing certain similarities.
“Trump himself, most recently, said that one of the reasons [for the war] is because of the fear of an attack from Iran. And so if that’s the case, then I think this would fall under the category of a preemptive war, which is what Iraq was,” Smith said.
The Iraq War, which lasted from 2003 until the troops’ eventual withdrawal in 2011, is largely considered to be one of the most regretted wars among US citizens. The war was passed by the United States Congress under the presumption that Iraq had hidden Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and intended to use them against the United States.
“After 16 weeks, inspectors turned up some evidence of undeclared activities, but not enough to convince a majority of the Security Council members that military force was necessary. Nonetheless, on March 19, U.S. and British forces attacked Iraq to forcibly eliminate its WMD,” Sharon Squassoni said, the author of the United Nations inspection report for the United States Congress.
As a result of the war, over 4,400 US Soldiers died, and little to no political stability was established in the region, evident by the ongoing US intervention efforts of today.
For these reasons, early comparisons between the attacks in Iraq and Iran are very concerning to the public.
To dispel the concerns of some is John Donoughe, State High Environmental & Survivor Sciences teacher, who served four years in the Marine Corps from 1983 to 1987.
“…the nature of warfare is changing. It was just a couple of decades ago where it still would have been… army versus army lined up against each other,” he said, referencing conflicts like the Gulf War or 1991-2.
“I have zero belief right now that the United States is going to put divisions of ground troops into Iran. I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Donoughe continued.
Extending on his previous statement of assurance, Donoughe is also doubtful that the Selective Service System will be reactivated, or in other words, that there will be a draft.
“I would tell anyone of draft age that I don’t think there’s a sliver more of a chance of a draft occurring today or a year from now than there was ten years ago as a result of this conflict,” Donoughe said in confidence toward State High’s student population.
Through differing experiences, perspectives, and opinions, one goal remains the same across all of State High and the entire State College community: to reduce the deaths and casualties of the innocent.
“…obviously, people are dying. Children are dying. I think the death toll has just
reached over a thousand. That’s awful. Many of those lives are definitely innocent,” Garthwaite said.
“Well, I would be concerned about the loss of American lives, number one. You know, service
personnel, loss of innocent Iranian lives, and then loss of innocent lives throughout the region
when Iran counterattacks,” Donoughe said.
While there does not appear to be any immediate solutions to the ongoing conflicts across the Middle East, the first steps are being taken by governments on all ends to reduce the harm caused by war.
