Does Just War Doctrine Require Moral Certainty?

Pope Leo XIV has made it clear that the U.S. war on Iran does not, in his judgment, meet the criteria of just war doctrine. Timothy Broglio, archbishop for the U.S. Military Services, has said the same, as have several other American bishops. I have argued that the war’s violation of just war conditions is manifest. That conviction has only been strengthened in the month since, as the Trump administration has made evident that it had no feasible plan to avoid plunging the world into entirely foreseeable economic chaos, has deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, and even threatened that “a whole civilization will die” if demands are not met.