The Trump Administration’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities is illegal, unconstitutional, and a violation of international law. The Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) calls on Congress to immediately hold President Donald Trump accountable for launching an unauthorized military action against Iran and embroiling the Middle East in a dangerous expansion of war.
A return to diplomacy is urgently needed to prevent more tragedy.
The United States Constitution (Article 1, Section 8) clearly states that the power to declare war rests solely on Congress. The 1973 War Power Resolution affirms that the president must seek Congressional approval before declaring war. Congress must reassert its war authority by immediately passing the Iran War Powers Resolution (S.J.Res.59 & H.Con.Res.38).
Introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (VA) and Reps. Thomas Massie (KY-4) and Ro Khanna (CA-17), this bipartisan resolution would prohibit unauthorized military strikes against Iran. For too long, presidents of both parties have bypassed Congress when taking the country to war. It’s time to restore congressional oversight and prevent another disastrous conflict in the Middle East.
Trump did not secure prior approval from Congress to bomb Iran, violating both the US Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Act. We know a majority of Americans do not want war with Iran and that it will further undermine US interests, while destroying countless lives and sparking more instability for the region and world.
The United States, despite its overwhelming military power, cannot simply bomb its way to peace.
Despite the Trump administration’s claims that the Iran bombing was a targeted attack, it was still an unprovoked attack on a sovereign country. The United States, despite its overwhelming military power, cannot simply bomb its way to peace.
Instead of persisting with diplomacy, the Trump administration chose to join Israel in its ongoing war with Iran. By supplying weapons of war, the US has chosen to help expand the Israel-Palestine War to Iran and in other parts of the Middle East.
We declare emphatically that war is not the answer. Bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities will not address the problem of nuclear proliferation; only diplomatic negotiation can. The US and Russia continue to maintain the world’s largest nuclear arsenals.
The 2015 US-Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action successfully constrained Iran’s nuclear program but it was abandoned by Trump in 2018. Despite this, the second Trump administration re-entered a sixth round of negotiations but Irael’s recent attacks on Iran upended the talks.
There is still room to de-escalate tensions in the region.
There is, however, still room for diplomacy -– not only for the nuclear deal, but also to end all wars in the Middle East and address the root causes behind them. There is still room to de-escalate tensions in the region. This must be done as soon as possible before more people are killed in Middle East wars.
FCNL affirms our long-standing commitment to peace in the Middle East. We will continue to pressure Congress and the Trump administration until peace is secured, and all wars ended.
In demanding peace and the rule of law, we hold the Trump administration, members of Congress, the military, and the peoples of Iran, Israel, and Palestine in the Light. We pray that Spirit will show us the away out of this morass and toward the world we seek – a world free of war and the threat of war, with equity and justice for all.
