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The United States is once again embroiled in a devastating war in the Middle East. The U.S. military is attacking Iran now, not because our country faces an immediate threat, but because the Israeli government has long sought a confrontation with Tehran and has finally found a willing partner in Washington.
This war is unnecessary, unjust, unconstitutional, in violation of international law, and completely contrary to the will of the American people.
Under the Constitution, the power to declare war rests with Congress, not the president. Therefore, President Donald Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes and pursue regime change in another country without Congressional approval is illegal. It reflects the darkest chapter of post-9/11 American foreign policy, using fear and deception to plunge our nation into a devastating war for which we are still paying the price today.
On a global scale, attacking a sovereign state in the absence of an immediate threat, or attacking a wanted war criminal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a “first strike” violates fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. The bombing campaign, carried out during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of heightened spirituality and contemplation, has already tainted the conscience of our people.
On the first day of the war, approximately 165 female students in Minab City were killed in U.S. air strikes. American weapons have once again made us complicit in the murder of children overseas.
And for what?
This is said to be about “security”. This is said to be to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But we’ve heard this before. For more than three decades, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that Iran is “weeks away” from a nuclear bomb. Those weeks turned into decades. Fear has been recycled as policy.
Let’s be honest about other things too. Iran, for all its unpleasant and often harmful regional ambitions, is not an immediate military threat to the United States. The American people understand this. Poll after poll shows Americans are tired of endless wars in the Middle East. Our communities want investments in health care, education, infrastructure, and job creation. Not another multitrillion-dollar conflict that sends soldiers into harm’s way and destabilizes yet another region.
So why does an American president who campaigned on “America First” govern as if he believes in “Israel First”? Why is the American military, American taxpayers, and American credibility at risk to achieve the long-held ambitions of a foreign government?
This is not a healthy alliance. This is a toxic dynamic in which the United States provides funds, weapons, diplomatic protection, and unconditional political support while being dragged into wars that make us less secure.
We are told that this war is about human rights. About women’s rights. But bombs don’t free people. Air strikes do not advance democracy. The massacre of schoolgirls is not “feminist” foreign policy.
If human rights were truly a concern, our government would not apply them selectively based on geopolitical expediency. Our ally Israel is engaged in genocide, killing and injuring more than 200,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Not funding the mass murder of children would have been a good start for our humanitarian concerns.
And Americans are right to ask these questions. Why are we drawn into a new foreign war at a time when transparency and accountability are being called for at home, especially in connection with the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files?The American people should be honest, not distracted.
This war will not bring stability. It could inflame the region, harm civilians, endanger U.S. troops, and spark a broader conflict with global implications. It puts American lives and American security at risk for purposes that are not in the interests of the American people.
Congress had a chance to uphold its constitutional responsibilities and prevent unauthorized military escalation, but it failed to pass the war powers resolution sponsored by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. The vote reflects the strong influence of the Israeli lobbying group AIPAC and its funds, as well as the troubling unwillingness of some members of Congress to stand up to powerful lobbying interests and unchecked executive power.
Congress, especially those who claim to oppose endless wars, must reaffirm its authority and continue to pursue all avenues to prevent further escalation. The stakes are too high for elected officials to remain silent.
The American people do not want this war. It is time for our government to serve them, not the agenda of foreign leaders desperate to cling to power and avoid accountability.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of Al Jazeera.
