Rufo & Lomez Curt Mills: The Case Against the Iran War | Ep 31
Mar 16, 2026
Curt Mills, executive director at The American Conservative and national-security commentator skeptical of U.S. interventions. He surveys US–Iran tensions, regional disruption from Iranian strikes, and leadership shifts in Tehran. He questions unclear goals, warns of quagmires from ground operations, and argues for diplomacy, restraint, and rethinking US ties with Israel and interventionist impulses.
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Iran Conflict Is Already A Regional War
- The Iran conflict has already functionally become a regional war disrupting travel, commerce, and Gulf hubs like Dubai and Doha.
- Curt Mills cites ballistic missiles and Shahid drones from Ukraine as evidence the campaign is degrading Gulf stability and leisure/business traffic for years.
Exit Iran By Ceasing Hostilities And Declaring Victory
- Exit is straightforward: stop hostilities and declare victory to withdraw forces and assets quickly.
- Mills points to the Houthi campaign precedent where the U.S. disengaged and moved to a limited diplomatic/mercenary arrangement instead of long occupation.
Regime Change In Iran Lacks Clear American Justification
- Curt Mills rejects regime-change justifications, arguing many autocracies exist without U.S. invasions.
- He questions what concrete American gains justify military risk in Iran compared with doing nothing.