1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand immediate action to end U.S. involvement in the war in Iran and to confront what is now an accelerating regional and global crisis. The situation is no longer meaningfully contained, and the so-called ceasefire is functionally collapsing. Military activity continues across multiple fronts. Israel’s ongoing strikes in Lebanon have not ceased, driving further civilian displacement and instability. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains a central point of escalation, with Iran restricting maritime traffic in response to continued conflict dynamics. The result is not peace, but a fragmented and unstable patchwork of confrontation with no shared understanding of the rules of engagement. Most recently, the United States has escalated further by imposing a naval blockade linked to the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly turning back commercial vessels and sharply increasing global shipping risk. This action represents a major escalation in a conflict that already lacks clear authorization, coherent objectives, or any defined end state. This is how wider wars happen—not through single decisions, but through compounding escalations in the absence of control, clarity, or accountability. The consequences are already global. Energy markets are destabilizing. Shipping routes are under strain. Inflationary pressure is spreading through food and fuel systems. And the humanitarian toll across the region continues to rise. The United Nations Development Programme has warned that more than 32 million people worldwide could be pushed into poverty as a result of the economic fallout from this war. This is not a secondary effect—it is a defining feature of the conflict. Energy shocks, food insecurity, and weakened global growth are already disproportionately impacting developing countries and reversing years of fragile economic recovery. This war is not just a regional failure. It is a global one. It is destabilizing international law, eroding diplomatic norms, and undermining the very systems that prevent localized conflicts from becoming global crises. It is damaging American alliances, increasing global economic volatility, and contributing to a growing perception that force is replacing law as the primary instrument of state behavior. And yet, the United States entered this conflict without congressional authorization and continues to operate without a clear strategy or endpoint. Congress cannot continue to defer responsibility. I urge you to act immediately: • Publicly oppose further escalation, including the naval blockade and any expansion of operations in the Strait of Hormuz. • Oppose any additional funding for the war and related military actions. • Demand immediate transparency regarding the legal justification, scope, and objectives of U.S. operations. • Reassert Congress’s constitutional war powers and move to end unauthorized military engagement. • Demand enforceable de-escalation measures across all fronts, including Lebanon and maritime operations. • Require urgent oversight hearings into decision-making and escalation pathways that have led to this crisis. This is a moment where delay is not neutrality—it is participation in escalation. The trajectory is becoming increasingly unstable, and each additional step taken without oversight increases the risk of a far broader and more destructive war. Congress must intervene now.