One year ago, the Trump administration irresponsibly withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear deal. In the past year, the Trump administration has pushed a crippling “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran. And now there are U.S. warships are cruising towards the Persian Gulf. The threat of war is real.
That’s why it’s so critical to support the legislation in the House and the Senate to stop the administration from going to war without consulting Congress. We need more members to be cosponsors to show the Trump administration that going to war with Iran would be unconstitutional. Can you help us by telling your representative in Congress to cosponsor H.R.2354 that will prevent Trump from dragging us to war with Iran?
In one year the Trump administration has:
- Devastated Iran’s economy by reinstating sanctions. U.S. unilateral sanctions have plunged Iran’s economy into a deep recession and the soaring prices are hurting millions of ordinary citizens.
- Asked for military options from the Pentagon to strike Iran.
- Supported a violent regime-change group, Mujahideen-E-Khalq, which has little to no support by the people inside Iran.
- Organized an anti-Iran summit in Warsaw, Poland to create a coalition of countries against Iran and pressure European countries to abandon the Iran nuclear deal.
- Designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization to escalate conflict throughout the Middle East.
- Demanded that countries stop importing Iranian oil and threatened to sanction countries like China, India, and Japan if they continue to purchase oil.
- Announced the deployment of warships close to Iran, a clear provocation.
All of this is utterly absurd. Throughout this entire year, Iran has continued to comply with the Iran nuclear agreement, despite all the pressures from the U.S. to abandon it. The U.S. constantly calls on Iran to behave like a “normal” country. But how “normal” is the U.S. ally that will make up for the oil shortfall, i.e. Saudi Arabia, which just beheaded 37 people?? YEAH RIGHT. Iran has lost its patience with the U.S. and Europe, which has remained in the nuclear deal but failed to protect European businesses from American sanctions. With little to gain from remaining in the nuclear deal, there is more talk that Iran might opt to abandon the deal altogether.
Two months ago, we visited the beautiful country of Iran. We explored the bustling bazaars, visited historical sites and met some of the most hospitable people. We listened to tragic stories about the impacts of sanctions and threats of war on their daily lives. Let's make this clear: the citizens of Iran continue to be the main victims of Trump’s warmongering policies. The U.S. is taking tactics from the Iraq playbook, such as exaggerating the threat of Iran’s nuclear program and painting Iran as a threat to the United States.
Right now, the Trump administration is choking Iranians with an economic war and is laying the groundwork for possible escalation. If left unchecked, this government take us down a path to another unauthorized war. That is why we are calling on Congress to invoke the War Powers Resolution to reaffirm that the Trump administration cannot go to war without prior Congressional authorization. Going to war with Iran would be unconstitutional—and catastrophic.
Can you call your representatives in Congress to cosponsor legislation to prevent a war with Iran?
Towards peace with Iran,
Ann, Ariel, Carley, Caroline, Jodie, Kelly, Kelsey, Kirsten, Lily, Maya, Mark, Medea, Nancy, Paki, Ryan, Sarah, Tighe, Ursula and Zena
P.S. CODEPINK is travelling to Iran in Fall of 2019. Email [email protected] for more information.