FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | 21 June 2025

BAY AREA IRANIAN-AMERICAN DEMOCRATS (BAIAD)

NO NEW WAR — CONGRESS, NOT THE PRESIDENT, DECIDES

U.S. warplanes have bombed Iran—without a vote of Congress. This reckless act repeats the mistakes of Iraq and Afghanistan: it places our troops in harm’s way, endangers civilians across Iran, Israel, and the wider region, and resolves none of the underlying conflicts.

THE COST OF AN UNAUTHORIZED STRIKE

• Iran: Reliable casualty figures are not yet available. What we do know is that Israel’s earlier strikes have already killed hundreds of civilians and damaged vital infrastructure. A sustained U.S. bombing campaign would magnify that suffering and risks repeating the devastation of Iraq and Afghanistan, where hundreds of thousands of civilians were ultimately killed and generations were left dealing with trauma, displacement, and destroyed communities. We must not allow even a fraction of that tragedy to unfold in Iran or anywhere else in the region.

• Israel and the region: Tehran has vowed retaliation. Ordinary Israelis, Lebanese, and Gulf residents now brace for missile fire, economic shock, and spiraling violence.

• United States: American service-members and diplomats instantly become targets. Nearly 7,000 U.S. troops and hundreds of thousands of civilians died in Iraq and Afghanistan, at a cost of trillions of dollars. An open-ended war with Iran would be even deadlier and more expensive.

WHY THIS ATTACK IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Article I of the Constitution grants only Congress the power to declare war. Representatives Ro Khanna, Thomas Massie, Jason Crow, Jerry Nadler, Betty McCollum, and many others have already condemned the strike as a gross violation of that principle—and a gift to hard-liners who prefer bombs to diplomacy.

BAIAD THEREFORE

1. Condemns the current administration’s unilateral escalation and the destabilizing influence of war hawks who pushed for it.

2. Demands re-opening of diplomatic channels, including full IAEA access to nuclear sites.

3. Calls on Congress to reconvene and pass the bipartisan War-Powers legislation now pending—the Kaine-Young bill (S. 3275) and the Khanna-Massie resolution (H.J.Res. 98)—to block further unauthorized military action.

4. Appeals to Bay Area representatives—Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Reps. Lofgren, Lee, Matsui, Eshoo, Khanna, Swalwell, and Panetta—and to Senators Padilla and Butler to cosponsor these bills and speak out unequivocally against escalation.

5. Urges Californians to call or email their members of Congress today (Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121) and demand a vote to assert Congress’s sole authority over war.

6. Opposes new offensive-weapons transfers that prolong fighting, and supports robust humanitarian aid for civilians already caught in the cross-fire.

LESSONS WORTH REMEMBERING

Weapons of mass destruction. Mission accomplished. Forever war.

Americans have heard these slogans before. Each time, the result was lost lives, shattered societies, and eroded civil liberties. We refuse to let history rhyme again.

Choosing diplomacy over destruction is both a moral imperative and a pragmatic necessity. BAIAD stands with every member of Congress—Democrat or Republican—who will vote to end this unlawful war and restore the constitutional balance of powers.

ABOUT BAIAD

Founded in 2004, the Bay Area Iranian-American Democrats (BAIAD) is a 100 percent volunteer, chartered Democratic club serving Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. We promote progressive values—social justice, responsibility, and fairness—through education, civic engagement, and grassroots activism. Our stance is rooted in universal human rights; we have consistently opposed the Islamic Republic’s abuses while rejecting war and collective punishment of civilians. 

Learn more at www.baiad.org