Over the past several weeks, the fragile bridge towards peace that was the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran has frayed and broken. The U.S. and Iran have started attacking one another again, and more countries are getting involved.
On Wednesday, an American-owned ship in Egypt was attacked by a drone, although Iran has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Strait of Hormuz is still not fully open for ship traffic. It saw a brief opening following the MOU and has been restricted since. Now the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula is under similar pressure from the Houthis in Yemen, aligned with Iran.
All the while, Iran and the U.S. have continued to trade missile barrages, which are killing and injuring people across the region – with attacks on Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Jordan.
With this flurry of news, it’s important to take a step back. This war was launched illegally. It was immoral and unjust from the beginning.
War is not the answer to conflict that the U.S. and Israel have with Iran. It has only led to economic chaos and bloodshed.
The U.S. Congress has officially rejected the war with a concurrent War Powers Resolution. We need to keep building pressure to bring the rogue executive branch in line with the constitution and the law by continuing to pass War Powers Resolutions. Congress also must use the power of the purse to refuse to fund this war.
We need to apply pressure continually, in every area we can to bring peace and build a Middle East where all nations can flourish.
Elsewhere
Not a Penny More for War!
While members of Congress are home for recess for the next month, we want to make sure they hear from us. Our movement is mobilizing and your advocacy is needed - join our six-week campaign to end the war on Iran and block the largest ever Pentagon budget.
One year of the “Big Beautiful Bill”
In an earlier edition of This Week in the World, we covered some of the damage caused by the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” FCNL’s Bridget Moix explored this in greater depth in her monthly column for Religion News Service.
She wrote, “As a Quaker lobbyist, I have been taught to assess legislation with simple questions: What does this policy do to the dignity of every person? Will this law strengthen the common good? Will it improve the lives of those most in need and generations to come? And perhaps even, would Jesus support the consequences of this bill?”
“By these measures, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has failed.”
Stay up to date
This Week in the World is just one of the newsletters that FCNL produces to keep you up to date on the issues that matter to your community.
Our monthly Native American Legislative Update covers what is happening in the world of Native American advocacy, ranging from appropriations for tribal law enforcement to the latest update on truth and healing for Native boarding schools.
In Inside the Greenhouse, also monthly, we’ve shared about the environmental impact of data centers, the Trump administration’s attacks on wind energy, and the importance of foreign assistance for climate change mitigation, among other topics.
Check out past editions of the Native American Legislative Update here and of Inside the Greenhouse here, and share with people in your community, church, or meeting who might be interested!
