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

I am writing again to demand immediate action to end the expanding war in Iran and the widening regional conflict now spreading across the Middle East. This war was launched without congressional authorization, without a clear legal justification, and without the support of the American people. It remains an illegal war of choice, and Congress has failed to stop it even as the humanitarian and geopolitical consequences grow more severe each day. The violence is no longer confined to Iran. Israeli military operations in Lebanon are escalating rapidly, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and destroying entire neighborhoods. The humanitarian crisis is worsening by the day. There are growing fears that Israel may use the cover of this war to entrench long-term territorial control in parts of Lebanon. We have seen this pattern before. In Palestine, mass displacement became permanent. Entire communities were uprooted and never allowed to return. Many observers now fear the same outcome in Lebanon if the international community fails to intervene quickly. Cities are being destroyed. Civilian homes are being leveled. What we are witnessing increasingly resembles urbicide and domicide on a devastating scale. The United States cannot claim innocence in this process. American military action has helped create the conditions for this regional escalation. Our government has enormous leverage over Israel, yet that leverage is not being used to restrain the destruction or prevent further displacement of civilians. Meanwhile, the rhetoric coming from the Department of Defense remains deeply disturbing. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has repeatedly mocked the rules and norms meant to govern warfare and protect civilians, dismissing rules of engagement and international humanitarian law. Such rhetoric undermines the credibility and discipline of the U.S. military and raises serious concerns about how this war is being conducted. At the same time, Senator Lindsey Graham has openly described working closely with Israeli officials while advocating aggressively for expanded U.S. military action. When a U.S. senator publicly boasts about coordinating with a foreign government while urging the United States toward war, it raises serious questions about whose interests are being served. At minimum, this conduct demands scrutiny and accountability. American foreign policy must be determined by the interests of the American people—not by ideological crusades or outside influence pushing the country toward endless war. Congress must finally assert its authority and act immediately: • Pass legislation cutting off all funding for this war. • Hold immediate public hearings on the decision to initiate hostilities without congressional authorization. • Investigate civilian casualties and the conduct of U.S. military operations. • Demand the removal of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and investigate his statements and actions regarding the conduct of war. • Launch a formal congressional investigation into Senator Lindsey Graham’s coordination with foreign officials regarding U.S. military policy and ensure full legal accountability where appropriate. • Force the administration to present a clear and immediate plan for de-escalation across the region, including Lebanon. The American public does not support this war. Yet it continues to expand, destroying cities, displacing civilians, and placing the United States deeper into a conflict with no clear objective and no credible exit. Congress must act now before this crisis spirals even further out of control.