No War With Iran

On February 28th, Trump partnered with Israel to launch “major combat operations” in Iran, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and drawing several other countries into armed conflict. Both chambers of Congress introduced resolutions to restrict Trump’s power over this illegal and unwanted “war of choice”, but both resolutions were voted down. The failed resolutions would have reaffirmed Congress’s sole authority to declare war as is established in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, which Trump blatantly ignored when he unilaterally engaged our military without congressional authorization.

Though Trump continues to change his flimsy rationale as to why he attacked Iran, he and his cabinet members have bragged about their success in what they have continually referred to as a “war.” Even so, many Republicans in Congress have argued over semantics, suggesting Trump hasn’t violated the Constitution by “declaring war” in spite of the deaths of hundreds by airstrikes in Iran and surrounding countries, the torpedoing of over twenty Iranian ships in international waters, the use of new forms of AI warfare, and the deaths of US service members in the conflict.

Trump has not given any clear end date for the war or provided a plan for moving forward, only ominously claiming he will do “whatever it takes.” Lawmakers anticipate that Trump will soon seek emergency funding—despite the billions already spent on military operations in Iran in the face of countless devastating domestic budget cuts—and experts fear the ill-defined rationale for bombing Iran will lead to another “forever war.”

Congress cannot allow Trump to start and exploit devastating geopolitical conflicts for his own benefit. Call your representatives and tell them to assert their constitutional authority over this unjustified and unnecessary war of choice.