UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invoked the centuries-old ‘just war’ theory to defend his government’s position on potential military conflict with Iran, drawing both theological and geopolitical scrutiny. The remarks came during a parliamentary debate on escalating tensions following Iran’s nuclear program advancements.
The ‘just war’ doctrine, rooted in Christian theology and later secularized by philosophers like Hugo Grotius, outlines conditions under which warfare is morally permissible. Johnson argued that Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons and regional destabilization activities meet criteria for ‘just cause’ and ‘last resort.’
Defense analysts note this marks the first explicit application of just war theory to UK-Iran relations since the 2019 tanker seizures. Foreign Office sources confirm the doctrine informed recent RAF deployments to the Persian Gulf, though emphasize no decision for offensive action has been made.
Critics including former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams contend the government’s interpretation stretches the doctrine’s proportionality principle. Meanwhile, Tehran’s UN mission dismissed the rhetoric as ‘colonial era moralizing.’
The development comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in London for emergency talks, suggesting the philosophical framing may precede concrete military coordination.