Once you’ve determined that this situation qualifies as a matter of saving life, it doesn’t seem to me that any information about whatever economic sanctions the non-Jews might impose should matter in deciding whether to stop an operation aimed at immediately saving Israel. To put it this way: “Saving life overrides even a vague fear of economic sanctions.” Only if there were a concrete threat of war by those countries against us would you perhaps need to get information and form a position on whether to open a war against them as well (and draft an additional company of yeshiva and kollel students for the new front). For now, what needed to happen should happen.

That’s simplistic thinking. Even regarding a single individual that isn’t true, and with respect to a state it’s certainly not true. The considerations are much broader, both because in a state there are life-and-death implications even to matters that seem routine, and also because public interests have the status of saving life. For example, a state does not ban driving for non-essential purposes despite hundreds of deaths a year.

Interesting. On the other hand, I also saw a statement by the Chazon Ish that a decline in spirituality overrides saving life. You’re always learning new things.