Five professors gathered to discuss the conflict in Iran in the latest CAP event

The HC CAP hosted an afternoon seminar on the Iranian conflict through various lenses of Valley College professors.

By: Michel Melichar, Staff Writer

Joshua Sperber is one of five professors who spoke at the War in Iran: Context and Consequences event held Wednesday in the LARC. (Angel Rangel for the Valley Star)

Around 70 students gathered on the second floor of the Valley College library Wednesday to hear five professors discuss the ongoing conflict in Iran. 

The event, titled War in Iran: Context and Consequences, coordinated by Scott Weigand and the Humanities and Communication Career and Academic Pathways included 15-minute talks by instructors Chris Nielsen, Wesley Oliphant, Zachary Knorr, Joshua Sperber and William Dauber. 

Professor Oliphant explained how the closing of the Strait of Hormuz affects everyday life by increasing the price of gas, food and electronics. He added that oil companies are profiting an extra $30 million per hour, and ExxonMobil is estimated to be adding $11 billion in profits and Chevron will add $9.2 billion by year’s end, citing an April 15 Guardian article. 

“Oil companies are well established; they've got money. They're earning more whereas the consumers are paying a lot more,” Oliphant said. “Gas prices have more of an effect on certain parts of the country. People who are of lower income are spending a greater percentage of their income on gas.”  

Before the question and answer period of the 90-minute event, professor Zachary Knorr discussed the war in relation to Daoism. He said the Chinese philosophy acts with humility, caution, and seeks to avoid harming others. 

“Countless lives will be impacted in ways we cannot even imagine,”  Knorr said. “Tremendous harm is being done to the lives of the people who are dying in the war, fighting in the war, the people around the world.

"I see no way that this can be justified, and it seems to me that it is out of the need to continue this notion of empire, continue this notion that the United States will intervene and govern the world and destroy people's lives for the perceived benefit of a small group.” 

The United States and Israeli militaries have been heavily bombarding areas of Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury. When the bombing started on Feb. 28, President Donald Trump said the U.S. military had killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other high ranking individuals. 

Since then, there have been significant civilian casualties as a girls’ elementary school was struck, killing 180. In total, US-Israeli attacks on Iran have killed at least 3,468 people, according to Iranian officials as of April 18. Since the start of the war, 13 US service members have been killed. 

As of April 7, a reported $28 billion has been used in this ongoing conflict, according to NPR. An estimated $2 billion spent everyday.

Both sides have been aiming for a ceasefire agreement since early March, with such attempts being broken multiple times due to unpermitted bombing by the United States. 

Iran has fired many retaliatory missile and drone attacks in the following days, hitting most of the United State’s allies in the region, including Israel, the UAE, Qatar and several others. 

Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, who rose to the role of supreme leader after the death of his father, subsequently closed the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz, a key gateway for global oil trade. This has raised the global price of oil drastically.

“Hopefully this war will give us a much needed wake up call,” said Knorr. “I think the only way to get past this and get through it is to have a real movement in this country. It's not just about anti-war, it's about anti empire.”

History professor Chris Neilsen started the day’s discussion with a historical look at Iran and its muddied past with the United States. Professor Joshua Sperber added more historical and religious context to the event and Dauber discussed how the Valley Star newsroom focuses its stories on individuals affected by the war.  

“I feel like this needs to be talked about more, politics, what's happening in the Middle East,” said Valley student Danny Kech. “I’m Lebanese Armenian and it's important to discuss what's going on.”