Prompt:

This week, President Trump called for “unconditional surrender” from Iran, noting that he knows the exact location of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran. Khamenei has since denied this request for peace and still seeks a nuclear weapon. It seems Trump is preparing America for a conflict with Iran and has just broken his silence: Trump doesn’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and wants this dispute to be short-term.

Despite America’s history as a global police force, this has caused a rift in his Republican supporters. Many are saying something along the lines of, “We back American, not Israel,” and “I will not die for Israel” (Instagram).

Given this information, what are your reactions, Gen Z,? How are you feeling about the future of our country? What are the perceived benefits to this conflict, if any?

Thoughts Around ONC:

Ellie: Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have clearly escalated, with both sides trading sharp threats. Trump declared his patience has “already run out,” and Ayatollah Khamenei warned that any U.S. strike would cause “irreparable damage.” This feels less like diplomacy and more like a march toward devastation. If it leads to war, every party involved must be prepared to face trauma and destruction that few would truly benefit from. A forceful response might rally allies and distract from domestic pressures, giving the U.S. government space to reset its global influence. But the fallout, like the recent attacks on Israel, may bring consequences that even allies aren’t prepared to accept.

Ollie: It feels like no one grasps the long history of Middle Eastern conflict and is even less aware of the dichotomy of issues that each separate state has. By backing Israel, the U.S. was destined to make enemies with Arab nations. This means less oil for us — aka higher gas prices, which directly goes against Trump’s promises. The introduction of nuclear weapons complicated the situation even more. Conflict could include all of NATO, and potentially even groups like the Arab League, essentially leading to World War III.

NOTE: Iran is not a part of the Arab league, as it is not considered an Arab country. However, both groups hold shared hostilities with Israel and the United States.

Selah: War offers no real benefits to the everyday people being asked to fight it. Over and over again, it’s the millions in America who pay the price for decisions made by those in power. Politicians can speak of strategy or security, but history shows that war does not lead to peace or change. The only perceived “benefit” in this case might be preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. But, even that is an uncertain, dangerous gamble with real human lives at stake. We’ve already seen how wars — even those supposedly aimed at securing weapons — often leave regions more unstable than before. The Iraq War is a clear example; the invasion not only failed to uncover weapons of mass destruction but also destabilized the region and added to the rise of extremist groups. There is no upside to conflict for the everyday American who is just trying to get by, unless you count more fear, debt and fewer opportunities for a better life.

War is not the answer. It never has been. And it never will be. 

Masie: A few days ago, I was worried about a war in Iran, like a lot of people were. But, are we actually even going to war with Iran? Trump’s official stance on this, as of 6/19/25, was that he did not want this to escalate to a war. I don’t think anybody really wants to go to war with Iran — I haven’t met anyone who does. Regardless, a war between Iran and Israel would not be a fair fight anyway, with the advantage to Israel, and it would be over very soon. Iran would be foolish to start a war. But, let’s pump the brakes on this widespread panic for a second. We also can’t even trust that Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon at all, especially when they are actively threatening reporters who attempt to gather evidence proving this matter. It is also important to note that Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has been publicly preaching that Iran has been “weeks” within reach of a nuclear weapon since 1995. That is 30 years of believing that an Iranian nuclear weapon is on our doorstep. I am calling Iran’s bluff.

Acknowledgment: Interns have recorded their own opinions, which are not representative of the organization as a whole.