Is the Iran War a Just War? | A Discussion of Catholic Social Teaching

Is the Iran War a Just War? | A Discussion of Catholic Social Teaching

From New Polity by New Polity

March 19, 2026

About this episode

The episode discusses whether the Iran War meets the criteria of a just war according to Catholic Social Teaching.

The Iran War is close to entering its third week, and hostilities continue to escalate. Off-ramps for de-escalation are closing and the American public is, largely, unsupportive of the war. In this podcast, Alex Denley hosts a roundtable discussion with three professors of the College of St. Joseph the Worker, Dr. Andrew Willard Jones, Dr. Alex Plato, and Dr. Jared Goff, on whether the Iran War fits the criteria of a just war according to Catholic Social Teaching. They also discuss the circumstances of the war, the stated objectives of the Trump administration, and whether modern warfare is capable of being waged justly.

People in this episode

Host: Alex Denley

Guests: Dr. Andrew Willard Jones, Dr. Alex Plato, Dr. Jared Goff

Topics covered

  • just war
  • Catholic Social Teaching
  • Iran War
  • modern warfare
  • American public opinion

Keywords

  • Iran War
  • just war
  • Catholic Social Teaching
  • modern warfare
  • Trump administration
  • de-escalation
  • American public opinion

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: College of St. Joseph the Worker, Trump administration

Places: Iran

More episodes of New Polity

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the New Polity podcast page.