By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, January 13, 2026
World BEYOND War opposes all wars and all threats of wars. One of the over 200 countries we oppose threatening with war is Iran.
World BEYOND War opposes all collective punishment, all sanctions aimed at harming general populations, as U.S. sanctions on Iran explicitly are aimed, according to various U.S. officials.
World BEYOND War supports all nonviolent movements for justice, including those in Iran.
Almost 18 years ago I interviewed Iranian Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi, and she said the obvious. But each year of propaganda may make it less obvious. She said: I oppose injustices by the Iranian government and also oppose, what would be even worse, a war on Iran by another nation.
Prior to 2026 even nobel peace laureates in countries targeted by U.S. empire — as Iran has been for all this time — universally said that obvious thing. This year’s Venezuelan laureate was the first to both oppose injustices in her own country and support sanctions, attacks, and coups from abroad. That doesn’t have to be normal. Opposing both war and domestic injustices can be normal.
Many of us in the United States oppose masked federal thugs murdering people in the streets, and many — probably all — of us also oppose any nation attacking the United States.
As we have pointed out for years, U.S. sanctions have for decades been marketed as tools for illegally overthrowing governments, but have instead predictably strengthened support for the targeted governments while harming ordinary people in violation of the Geneva Conventions and basic human decency. Failure on its own terms is no deterrent to a policy in Washington, D.C., but the people of the United States and the world should not keep allowing policies that cause such predictable death and suffering.
8 Responses
End sanctions so Iran’s people can thrive.
I vehemently oppose the threats of further sanctions and the sanctions on Iran. I demand that the threats end and the sanctions on Iran’s people are removed.
Keep up the good work to prevent wars. They help no one.
For decades, Israel and the U.S. have lied about the presence of nuclear weapons in Iran while amassing their OWN stockpiles.
The true reason for threats and sanctions against Iran is the desire for control in the Middle East and the gas/oil reserves therein. Mainstream media reinforced the narrative you’ve spun and invented terrorism and Islamophobia. The masses have been controlled by fear but we are WAKING UP!
No more imperialism.
WAR IA MURDER ON BOTH SIDES.
No military intervention in iran!
Opposing both war and domestic injustices can be normal.
Many of us in the United States oppose masked federal thugs murdering people in the streets, and many — probably all — of us also oppose any nation attacking the United States.
As we have pointed out for years, U.S. sanctions have for decades been marketed as tools for illegally overthrowing governments, but have instead predictably strengthened support for the targeted governments while harming ordinary people in violation of the Geneva Conventions and basic human decency. Failure on its own terms is no deterrent to a policy in Washington, D.C., but the people of the United States and the world should not keep allowing policies that cause such predictable death and suffering.
End the sanctions on Iran, you are hurting it’s citizens!