1. United States
2. Ind.
3. Letter

Who and what is this war for? It is certainly not for Americans- we Do. Not. Want. The War. In. Iran or any other wars. Way too many servicemen and servicewomen have lost their lives or have been severely injured so far. These exceptional service people and their families gave the ultimate sacrifice when they could have been at their posts in the U. S. instead of in Iran and other parts of the Middle East. So no, I reject the president and his administration’s comments about “it happens, in times of war.” Not when this war should not have never had happened. Congress should have stepped up and stopped this president and secretary of defense. Where are you?! Why aren’t you standing up for our servicemen and servicewomen and for what is right?!?!! This war is definitely not for Iranian civilians… The AP is reporting that “Dozens of Iranians crossed into northern Iraq Sunday — the first day the border had opened since war struck their country — to buy cheaper groceries, access the internet, contact relatives and find work. Travelers said constant airstrikes and soaring food prices have made life in Iran increasingly desperate.” Congress needs to immediately reassert its constitutional authority and stop the reckless escalation of military conflict being carried out by President Donald Trump and his cabinet. The United States is being pulled toward a wider war without clear objectives, without serious diplomacy, and without proper Congressional authorization. At the very moment the administration claims to be confronting Iran, it has lifted sanctions on Russian oil shipments, delivering a financial windfall to Vladimir Putin—the very sanctions imposed by the Group of Seven after Russia launched the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This decision rewards an adversary while undermining U.S. alliances and fueling global instability. Meanwhile, the administration is expanding military deployments in the Middle East and openly escalating rhetoric toward total war. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has even invoked “no quarter,” language associated with the refusal to take prisoners and widely recognized as a war crime under international law. At the same time, diplomatic negotiations with Iran reportedly collapsed after U.S. representatives demonstrated a lack of technical understanding of Iran’s nuclear proposals. The result has been the collapse of talks and a rapid slide toward military confrontation. The risks of escalation were well known. For years, national security experts warned that war with Iran could trigger regional retaliation, including the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil shipments. That scenario is now unfolding. And yet the President has publicly suggested he will know the war is over when he “feels it in his bones.” That is not strategy. That is not leadership. Congress has the constitutional authority—and the obligation—to prevent the United States from being dragged into another open-ended war driven by impulse rather than policy. I strongly urge you to act immediately to: • Reassert Congress’s exclusive authority to authorize war • Demand a full accounting of military actions against Iran and elsewhere • Investigate the lifting of sanctions that benefits Russia • Restore oversight mechanisms designed to prevent civilian casualties • Require Congressional authorization before any further military escalation American lives (civilians and service members), Iranian civilians and other people in the Middle East, global stability, and the credibility of the United States are at stake and deserve much better. Congress MUST not stand by while one administration risks igniting a wider war without accountability.