(Washington, D.C., February 28, 2026) — In response to the United States joining Israel's military strikes against Iran tonight, DAWN issues the following statement:
"By joining Israel's attack on Iran, Trump has dragged the United States into an illegal war of aggression without congressional approval, in flagrant violation of the Constitution," said Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director at DAWN. "This is not America's war, and the American people did not authorize it. Trump must immediately cease U.S. military involvement, withdraw U.S. forces from the region, and submit to congressional oversight before this war spirals beyond anyone's control. Congress must immediately invoke its constitutional authority to end U.S. participation in this war and make clear that the United States is not Israel's military wing."
"Iranians today are trapped between two forms of violence. They continue to suffer under a government that has shown it is willing to use lethal force against its own people, as seen in January, while now facing the threat of external military action," said Omid Memarian, Iranian human rights expert and senior fellow at DAWN. "The Iranian authorities have failed in their most basic obligation under international law: to protect their population both from state repression and from policies that expose the country to armed conflict."
"At this point, asking how to end U.S. complicity in Israel's illegal military campaigns is no longer relevant—the country has officially gone from client state to regional proxy, which means that Israeli crimes are indistinguishable from American crimes," said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Israel-Palestine Director at DAWN. "Every country in the world needs to make clear that military intervention without the clear authorization of the U.N. Security Council is illegal and demand an immediate de-escalation."
