By Mike Koetting March 3, 2026
It’s a well-known legal adage that hard cases make bad law. The current situation of Iran is a classic case.
The existing regime in Iran is a bad actor. Very bad. They are a menace to their own people—never on fuller display than killing thousands of Iranians in the last few weeks—and are a major destabilizing force in the Middle East. It is hard to imagine the world wouldn’t be improved by their removal from power.
On the other side of the equation is the idea that one country should not interfere in the affairs of another country. This idea has much more currency if there is evidence that the affairs of the country reflect some version of the common will. The evidence in Iran runs counter.
So how should we feel about the intervention in Iran?
My answer: potentially favorable consequences aside, this is a bad thing.
Continue reading “It’s Ugly but the Answer Is Still “No””
Between Hell and High Water 