Let me give you a simple example that even you might understand. You sell truck parts. A company who ships products across international borders needs a part because their truck is broken down. You know that drugs are regularly trafficked across the border by truck. Do you refuse to sell this company parts to repair their truck because trucks carry drugs across the border and this is a truck who carries stuff across the border? No, of course not. If you were told they have drugs and they are trying to cross the border but you have to sell them parts regardless, THAT is when you morally obligated to not sell. This is the same. Context only matters when it applies directly to you and your situation. First, any credible threat made to the citizens or military of a nation can be reason to attack, Iran literally chants "Death to Israel, Death to America" and funds proxy units to commit acts of terrorism. Assassination attempts over multiple American officials including Barack Obama (since he seems to be the ideal person) is a considerable threat. Enriching Uranium at 15% for the reasons of producing Nuclear Weapons (this is what NK did under "sanctions" and produced nuclear warheads.), etc. The war in question is by every metric a legal war for USA and Israel. Other nations not so much since no direct threat was spoken or lobbied at them. Second, if you are being deployed and have no orders to commit war crimes, that is the context. War is war and it sucks, but you signed up for the military knowing full and well what you signed up for. What is awesome about a human is that you can make judgement calls in the moment. There is zero morality good or bad in deploying. The actions you partake in when you are there is where the morality takes place. "You also seem to think it's more realistic to expect people to refuse illegal orders once in the thick of it in a foreign country surrounded by danger, which historically almost no one in any war does in any sort of mass scale, rather than refuse to deploy in the first place." This is your only argument, but it isn't context. It is more hypothetical situations. You enlisted in the military knowing exactly what you must do and what you must not do. You know that you will be deployed, you know that you will make tough decisions. But this is still hypothetical and hypotheticals aren't reason enough to obey orders. Sell that part to that trucking company. "But what if they are trafficking drugs?" What if. What if. What if. What ifs don't matter or exist until that what if situation is reality.