Libertarians have been among the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s Iran war, denouncing it as unconstitutional, immoral, and another instance of American overreach abroad. In this two-part op-ed series, however, the Washington Examiner partnered with two leading libertarian voices to present a different perspective: a principled libertarian case in support of the military campaign. This is Part 1, click here to read Part 2.

Since the United States and Israel began their campaign against the Iranian government — they first targeted nuclear facilities in the summer of 2025, and then pursued the broader removal of the regime this year — libertarian opposition has been nearly universal: The war is unconstitutional, unpopular, immoral, and another chapter in a long story of American military overreach.