Win Without War Executive Director Stephen Miles released the following statement regarding reports that President Trump considered launching a direct attack on Iranian soil earlier this month:
“Nothing could better encapsulate Donald Trump’s disastrous approach to U.S. foreign policy than this.
“First, Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was successfully limiting Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons and reimposed devastating U.S. sanctions. Then, as Iran, predictably resumed certain aspects of its nuclear program, Trump saw one option for a response: a military strike on foreign soil, with no regard for the catastrophe that it would surely provoke. In other words: reject the successful diplomatic route, and risk starting a pointless war instead.
“Four years of so-called ‘maximum pressure’ have done nothing but repeatedly bring us to the brink of war and cause enormous suffering to the people of Iran. We’ve seen incredible efforts at resistance in Iran against the incompetence and brutality of the Iranian government — that work isn’t made easier when U.S. policy makes it difficult for people to access medicine and essentials during a pandemic.
“So long as Trump remains in office, we will resist his reckless brinkmanship and needless cruelty. Come January, we hope the new administration will fully reject the failed military-first approach to Iran and beyond, and prioritize the only real path to peace and security: diplomacy.”
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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.
