Iran conflict: Veterans clash over morality, motives of potential war

MESA, Ariz. - Public opinion on the war in Iran is split, with recent polling showing a majority of Americans opposing military action in Iran. 

There appears to be a generational divide regarding a potential war. Veterans who witnessed the fall of Iran in 1979 and the subsequent hostage situation often believe there is a moral imperative to intervene, while younger generations generally do not share that sentiment.

Local perspective:

Inside Mesa’s VFW Post 1760, the conflict has become a frequent topic of conversation. David Donkers, a U.S. Army veteran who served for 22 years and spent 12 years contracting in the Middle East, said he saw the struggles of the Iranian people firsthand under their reigns of the late supreme leaders, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He expressed support for the actions taken by President Trump over the last month.

"I came from a generation that when I was stationed in Germany I’ve seen a concentration camp. That’s a feeling you’ll never forget," Donkers said. "In Iran they were killing like 10,000 of their own citizens. You know, so there’s something intrinsically wrong with that. And we’re just the only people who can get in there and do it."

By the numbers:

However, Donkers’ perspective represents the minority. A new Quinnipiac poll found that 53% of voters oppose the war, while 40% support it. Furthermore, 74% of voters indicated they do not want to see American boots on the ground.

The other side:

This opposition is echoed by active-duty service members and veterans on social media, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z. On platforms like TikTok, some have expressed skepticism regarding the motives behind the conflict.

"This is not about us, never has been about us and never will be about us. It’s about money," one user posted. Another added, "I’m fourth generation Army, I grew up in the whole arsenal of democracy propaganda. I was in a special operations unit during Obama’s Afghanistan surge. If you are in the military right now, just know that you’re not serving your country. You are not fighting for freedom or democracy. You are fighting for about a thousand odd, child trafficking, parasitically wealthy billionaires who do not believe in countries or nation states."

Dig deeper:

Older veterans were quick to dismiss those sentiments, with some noting that intervention should have occurred decades ago during the Carter administration.

Polling shows that support for U.S. military action is generally stronger among Republicans and weaker among Democrats and Independents. Despite these differences, most are united by concerns that the conflict will drag on, risking the lives of service members and negatively impacting the economy.

"There’s no such thing as a sanitized war. You can’t go in and it be all clean and no one gets hurt," Donkers said. "But at the end of the day, does the end result make it better for humankind all across the spectrum? I think yes is the answer."

What's next:

There is also growing concern regarding the possibility of a draft following ambiguous statements from the White House. While the administration clarified there are no plans for "boots on the ground" in Iran at this time, President Trump has not ruled it out.