The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, beginning a violent war that has already killed hundreds with no positive outcomes, though nobody requested or approved it. More than 1,800 people have been killed so far, including 13 U.S. servicemembers and at least 175 students killed by U.S. missiles that struck an Iranian elementary school. This war is not for the benefit or safety of Iranians or Americans. Killing innocent civilians and putting our own citizens at risk in a war they did not ask for is not going to do anything positive for either country; it is simply a selfish ploy by President Donald Trump to further his international control and access to oil.
Though there was buildup in the form of verbal and written threats from Trump, when the time came to actually strike Iran, Trump gave Congress absolutely no notice, going against the constitutional guidelines for wartime. As the commander in chief of the armed forces, the president does have the ability to mobilize the military, but they must give Congress 48 hours’ notice, which Trump disregarded with his haphazard invasion. After the military’s deployment, according to the War Powers Resolution, the president has 60 days to get congressional approval. But based on Trump’s public statements, it does not sound like he plans on stopping at the 60-day mark as long as Iran continues to retaliate. Additionally, only Congress has the power to declare war. Although Trump has not explicitly declared war, it is incredibly clear that this is what the current conflict is, and no alternative language can cover that up.
Trump’s actions show a gross abuse of power that cannot remain unchecked, yet Congress shows no sense of urgency in putting a stop to it. Senate Democrats have threatened to force daily votes to reevaluate the president’s war powers until hearings are scheduled with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other cabinet members. But Republicans are holding strong on the president’s side, even as some are growing wary of the increasing length of this conflict.
According to a Quinnipiac University National Poll, over half of registered voters oppose the United States’ military action against Iran, 74% oppose sending ground troops into Iran and 55% do not think that Iran posed an imminent threat to the U.S. before the strikes. Americans did not ask for this, and they do not understand why it is happening — for good reason.
When it comes down to it, the true goal of U.S. international conflicts is almost always oil, and this war is no different. Since 1973, between 25% and 50% of all American international conflicts have been connected to oil interests. Through resource wars, petro-aggression and oil-market domination, oil exerts massive control over international conflicts, shaping power dynamics and sparking tensions. This is especially true in the U.S. after they bombed Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, on March 13. U.S. military officials have claimed that the attack was just directed at storage sites for missiles and mines, but Iranian officials had warned that attacks on the island would halt operations at the export hub, so the U.S. knew they would be influencing their oil exports. We continue to prove time and again that we value oil more than humanity, and international trade and money over the safety of our own country’s people.
The Trump administration’s continual willingness and even enthusiasm to work with the Israeli government, a government actively committing genocide against the Palestinian people and taking away all of the rights that we so proudly boast in our constitution, is nothing short of disgusting. Intentions are everything when it comes to something as big as war, and the line between liberation and exploitation is thin. When our government actively chooses to align with international powers that have made explicit moves against the liberation of an oppressed nation, instead of further oppressing them and putting them at risk, it shows that the U.S. is not trying to change the regime for the Iranian people, but is instead taking advantage of them while they are most vulnerable.
This is not to make a statement in support of the oppressive Iranian regime that has hindered its own people’s rights to freedom of speech and protest, but rather in support of the innocent Iranian people who are losing their lives while still being robbed of their liberation.
The Iranian people have been in danger for a long time now, and sending missiles and tanks to their home is only adding to their pain. The longer this war goes on, the more risk we put to innocent lives in America, Iran and beyond. The U.S. government needs to put a stop to this war before the implications are irreversible.