No one “wants” war, no one wants the destruction of buildings or the loss of innocent lives. Ideally, we would live in a world where the United Nations and international law work as they were meant to, a system where rules are respected, and the Security Council can responsibly determine when the Responsibility to Protect should be applied. But the reality is far from ideal. Some of the very nations that violate international law daily, Russia and China, hold veto power and weighted influence. What right do these dictatorships have to decide the fate of others, when they themselves ignore the rules? And to those now shouting “no to war,” where were you when the Islamic Republic of Iran waged war on its own people for 47 years? When millions peacefully protested with bare hands, only to be slaughtered by military-grade weapons? Diplomacy, UN mechanisms, and even sanctions failed. Were Iranians supposed to continue being massacred in silence? The ideal solution would have been for the regime and its leaders, including Khamenei, to face justice at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. But Iran never signed the Rome Statute. Idealism is good, it is what we should all aspire to, but until nations actually adhere to the rules, impunity cannot be their reward. Today, Iranians feel a small measure of relief. The heavy boot that has long pressed down on their neck has been lifted with the elimination of Khamenei. There is still a spider web of the IRGC and its networks running the show, and true freedom will not come from bombs alone. But for now, this has weakened the oppressive forces that have mutilated, raped, tortured, and hanged innocent Iranians. The responsibility to build a free Iran now lies with the Iranian people themselves. Yet they will still need the support of friends and allies around the world. The path to freedom is long and difficult, but today, hope has a foothold.