Evaluating Operation Epic Fury Through the Lens of St. Augustine’s Just War Theory
War is inherently evil, yet it is sometimes necessary to prevent greater evil and ultimately save lives. Due to the fall of humanity, certain conflicts are required despite our reluctance. This concept is known as Just War theory, first developed by St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD). The U.S. and Israeli military operation against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, fits this framework: it is a necessary action to prevent greater evil, protect civilians in Iran and the broader Middle East, and safeguard Western lives and freedoms.
St. Augustine argued that although war is evil, it can be justified when it prevents worse evils and protects innocent life. He drew on biblical texts such as Romans 13 and Luke 3. In Romans 13, Paul describes the government’s God-given role to protect people, punish evil, and “bear the sword”: “For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4, NIV). This passage distinguishes the church’s calling—to love others in Jesus’ name—from the state’s mandate to maintain order and justice.
In Luke 3:14, soldiers ask John the Baptist how to live rightly. He does not tell them to abandon their profession but instructs: “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” These texts support the idea that the government has a distinct responsibility to restrain evil, even through force when necessary.
Not all Christians agree with Augustine. Pacifists hold that war is never justified, a view rooted in pre-Constantinian early Christianity and later prominent in more liberal circles. They emphasize loving enemies and reject all killing. While these principles apply to individual believers and the local church, Scripture assigns nations and governments a different mandate, including the authority to wield the sword against wrongdoing.
Pacifism may sound noble, but it can inadvertently allow greater evil and harm more people. As Scripture teaches, the church and the state have distinct roles. The government must sometimes use force—including war—to punish evil and preserve peace.
Just War theory includes several key criteria. First, only a legitimate authority—a sovereign nation, not a private individual—can initiate war. Both the United States and Israel are sovereign states with the responsibility to protect their citizens and defend freedom. This condition is clearly met in Operation Epic Fury.
Second, a just war avenges serious wrongs or responds to inflicted evil. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been one of the world’s leading funders of terrorism. It has supported proxy groups and destabilized the region for decades. In January 2026, the regime brutally suppressed protests, killing as many as 30,000 civilians in just two days (January 8 and 9), according to senior Iranian Ministry of Health officials cited by Time magazine. Security forces overwhelmed morgues, exhausting body bags and resorting to semi-trailers for the dead. Such atrocities provide just cause to confront a regime intent on destruction.
Third, the initiating nation must have the right intention: advancing good and preventing evil. Iran’s charter explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel and “death to” Western civilization. The regime has persistently pursued nuclear weapons capable of annihilating entire nations. Allowing this existential threat to grow unchecked would be reckless. The United States and Israel acted to protect their people, spare further bloodshed, and promote stability in the Middle East.
Diplomatic efforts were exhausted before military action. Iran refused to abandon its nuclear ambitions or its genocidal rhetoric. Operation Epic Fury, therefore, satisfies the core standards of Just War theory. It deserves support not as imperialism, but as a measured response aimed at preserving peace in Israel and the United States, freeing Iranian civilians from tyranny, and fostering a safer, brighter future for the region and the world.
