No War on Iran

By NIAC and undersigned organizations, May 23, 2025

Dear Members of Congress,

As the United States re-engages in high-stakes negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, we write to urge you to approach this critical juncture with focus and responsibility — by supporting a diplomatic resolution that safeguards U.S. interests, reflects the will of the American public, prevents Iran from getting nuclear weapons, and averts the profound consequences of another catastrophic and avoidable war.

War with Iran would be a strategic and humanitarian catastrophe. It would endanger U.S personnel across the region, provoke regional conflagration, destabilize fragile governments spike energy prices, and kill countless individuals. Military strikes might delay Iran’s nuclear progress temporarily, but war could be used as justification for Iran to pursue a nuclear weapon — transforming a preventable threat into a permanent one. That is why many have warned that only full-scale occupation could ensure Iran does not weaponize its nuclear program after strikes — an option that would make the quagmire in Iraq look modest by comparison.

Polling confirms what most Americans already understand: a new catastrophic war in the Middle East is the wrong path for our country. According to a recent University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll, 64 percent of Republicans, 67 percent of Independents, and 78 percent of Democrats prefer a negotiated agreement over military action to address Iran’s nuclear program, while only 14 percent support military action against Iran. This is a moment of rare bipartisan consensus.

Americans want diplomacy — both parties should work to ensure that negotiations succeed A potential agreement could take a number of forms — ranging from a limited framework focused on verifiable enrichment caps to a broader set of commitments. Regardless of its specific shape, the central objective of U.S. policy at this moment must be to prevent war and ensure

Iran’s nuclear activities are constrained through rigorous and enforceable monitoring. Demands for total Iranian surrender — zero enrichment, full regional capitulation, or a so-called “Libya model” — are not viable paths to a negotiated outcome. They are, as history has repeatedly shown, tactics designed to guarantee diplomatic failure and lead us closer to war. Those in Congress who continue to advance demands designed to collapse diplomacy should be candid about what they hope to set in motion: a war that would cost American lives and countless tens of billions in taxpayer dollars. The unwillingness to say so openly — let alone put their name behind a congressional authorization for military action — reflects an alarming disregard for democratic accountability that runs directly counter to the vision of the framers of our Constitution.As you know, under the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973, only Congress has the authority to declare war and authorize offensive military action. There is currently no congressional authorization for military action against Iran, and Congress must be prepared to act if the Executive Branch engages in military action against Iran in violation of U.S. law and the Constitution.

Accordingly, we urge you to:

• Express your support for a diplomatic agreement that avoids war and prevents Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons;
• Reject and oppose calls from Congress or elsewhere that are designed to sabotage diplomacy, and help educate the American people about the intentions of those policymakers who seek to deliberately derail negotiations and lead the U.S. into war;
• Defend Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war, oppose any authorization for a catastrophic conflict with Iran, and make clear that unauthorized military action will face strong resistance from Congress.

We are grateful for your attention to this urgent matter at one of the most important moments in the history of relations between the United States and Iran. We hope you can play a role in preventing a disaster that would gravely harm the well-being and interests of Americans,

Iranians, and global peace and security broadly.

Sincerely,

Action Corps

American Friends Service Committee

Antiwar.com

Brooklyn For Peace

Codepink

Community Alliance for Peace & Justice

Demand Progress

Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Historians for Peace and Democracy

Just Foreign Policy

The Libertarian Institute

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Massachusetts Peace Action

Minnesota Peace Project

MPower Change Action Fund

National Iranian-American Council (NIAC)

New Internationalism Project, Institute for

Policy Studies

Peace Action

Peace Action New York State

Peace Corps Iran Association

Preserve Our Republic

ReThinking Foreign Policy

RootsAction

Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

Secure Families Initiative

The United Methodist Church – General

Board of Church and Society

United Church of Christ

World BEYOND War

Win Without War