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

I am writing to you with a sense of profound urgency. This morning, President Trump posted on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight” — threatening to destroy Iran’s power plants, bridges, and civilian infrastructure unless a deal is reached by 8 p.m. ET today. This is not a rhetorical flourish. Human rights experts, including Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, have stated clearly that threatening collective punishment of a civilian population is a potential war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The United Nations Human Rights Chief has called the threat “sickening.” The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure are incompatible with international law. Congress has a constitutional responsibility that cannot be delegated or ignored. Article I, Section 8 grants Congress — not the President — the power to declare war. The American people did not vote for genocide. They did not vote to annihilate one of the world’s oldest civilizations. I am demanding that you take the following actions immediately: 1. Publicly condemn President Trump’s threats against Iranian civilians in the strongest possible terms. 2. Work with your colleagues — across the aisle if necessary — to invoke congressional war powers authority and require legislative approval before any further escalation. 3. Call for an emergency session of Congress to address this crisis today. 4. Demand that the Cabinet consider all constitutional options, including those available under the 25th Amendment, if the President proceeds with attacks targeting civilian infrastructure. The United States has stood, historically, as a nation that opposes the deliberate targeting of civilian populations. We cannot allow that legacy to be destroyed in a single night. History is watching. Your constituents are watching. Please act.