Washington, DC – The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) is deeply concerned by the return to dangerous military escalation and urges the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table.
“Instead of taking an off-ramp and striking a more durable peace, President Trump has instead chosen military escalation that has already resulted in war crimes and risks reigniting a conflict that has already inflicted immense suffering across the region,” said Jamal Abdi, President of the National Iranian American Council. “The vast majority of Americans oppose this war and now a majority of Congress have voted to end it, but the President is under political pressure from war hawks like Lindsey Graham and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue the war indefinitely.”
Reports indicate that U.S. strikes last night hit not only military targets but also critical civilian infrastructure, including a water facility that has reportedly left at least 20,000 people without access to water.
“Targeting water infrastructure that thousands of people depend on to live is reckless and a clear war crime,” said Abdi. “Such acts don’t increase U.S. leverage or resolve, they signal desperation and an invitation for similarly inhumane counter strikes that would devastate countless more innocent people across the region.”
“After months of this reckless war, the President knows that there is no military solution to this conflict and no short-cuts to end a war. Rather, this must be resolved at the negotiating table and these repeated attacks amid negotiations undermine the chance that they will succeed.”
Iran has responded with attacks targeting Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, with President Trump indicating today that U.S. military strikes are not over. President Trump’s declaration that Iran has “taken too long” to negotiate and must “pay the price” reveals his impatience with the negotiating process as Iran has rejected a one-sided deal that doesn’t guarantee sanctions relief. Yet attacking Iran again will not alter Iran’s bottom line, and may make a comprehensive deal impossible to achieve – playing into the goals of those who want to keep Iran in a new “forever war.”
“The President’s comments reveal a deeply troubling mindset that diplomacy is not a process of negotiation between adversaries, but a demand for capitulation backed by military force,” said Abdi. “That approach has failed and President Trump needs to halt further escalation immediately, recommit to serious diplomacy, and prevent this dangerous crisis from spiraling back into a broader regional war.”
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