Washington, D.C. — President Trump’s choice to resume bombing Iran while threatening U.S. troops on the ground to seize oil infrastructure would do nothing to resolve his costly war of choice and would likely lead to more American casualties. Military strikes have failed to create real progress in negotiations in the past and are more unlikely to do so now. Moreover, there is no way for the United States to seize and control Kharg Island and other Iranian oil sites without significant challenges and putting American troops at risk to Iranian attacks.
A majority in the House of Representatives–including several Republicans–have voted to end this war and the Senate cleared a major procedural hurdle to also vote in favor of ending the war, demonstrating the strong opposition to this costly and unnecessary war. New polling shows that 56% of Americans believe that the war has had a negative impact on America, and just 16% of all Americans believe that the United States is winning the war.
Instead of engaging in reckless unpopular military action that will put our military members at risk, add to our inflation problems, and bring us closer to another forever war, the Trump administration should recognize that only a negotiated agreement can end the immediate conflict and lay the groundwork for a future nuclear deal.
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