A senior adviser in the Trump administration said that there is a 90% chance of war with Iran in the next few weeks. Starting a war with Iran has been a frequent talking point with this administration especially in the past month since overthrowing the head of state in Venezuela. Pentagon officials were able to calm the waters in the calls for war. A main reason stated was that the military did not have the equipment or personnel in place. In recent days an Armada has been amassing around Iran. USS Abraham Lincoln positioned in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman. The largest aircraft carrier in the world, the USS Gerald Ford, recently landed in the Mediterranean Sea near Israel to expand the war theatre.
Image from WRL’s Guidebook for WTR (photo from Chrissy Kirchhoefer)
A month ago the carrier was along the shores of Venezuela assisting in the regime change actions of the military. Since last June, the USS Ford has been out at sea going from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean and now is settling into the Middle East. In addition to the 2 carriers at least 17 warships are in the area as well as hundreds of fighter jets, surveillance operations and mobile missile defense programs. The flood of the US military into the area is the largest since the war with Iraq over 2 decades ago. That is all in addition to the estimated 40,000 US troops in the area at 13 bases in Bahrain, Iraq, Qatar, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
The reasons for going to war with Iran are not clear; the goals keep shifting, from preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons to overthrowing the current government. All of this is without a vote from Congress or public input. It creates a dangerous situation for all involved. While negotiations between Iran and the US continue, both countries are making decisions that are putting a lot of people in danger.
Image from Alteni-Tees (photo from Chrissy Kirchhoefer)
The more military resources that the US puts into the area (at taxpayers expense) the more likely the US is to go to war. Iran issued restraint when the US assassinated Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in 2020 and bombed 3 nuclear facilities 8 months ago in the Israeli’s war on Iran. In Operation Midnight Hammer, the US employed over 125 aircrafts and 75 precision weapons including the largest non nuclear ‘bunker buster’ bombs to ‘obliterate’ Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. There is no reason to believe that there is any rationale to have restraint when the goal of regime change is on the table. The quote from Mark Twain comes to mind “If your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like nails.”
One thing that we know for certain with war is that there are unintended consequences that result in innocent people being killed and taxpayer money squandered. According to polls, less than 30% of people in the US do not want a war with Iran; many are struggling to afford basic necessities of food, housing and medical care. Within the last year the US military has expanded bombing campaigns into 8 countries. Not only are there deaths of innocents where the bombs are dropped but deaths as a result of preventable diseases from a lack of resources going towards human needs.
We are witnessing people skill up by spreading the word and attending WTR 101 and W-4 sessions, getting additional training and staying up to date on new developments as WTR Counselors and local communities expanding and hosting WTR events. We would love your help in sharing upcoming NWTRCC events. We have expanded the workshop offerings with a specific one devoted to W-4 Resistance and Q & A time.
Introduction WTR 101 on February 24th at 7pm Central Time
W-4 and Office Hours on March 5th 12pm Central Time
Introduction to WTR on March 24th 7pm Central Time (registration details to come)
We would also love to help promote events that you have planned in your communities on our website and Instagram. You can find more info about upcoming WTR events in Madison, DC and Maine on our website under Regional and Local Events.
Projected FY 2026 Pie Chart from War Resisters League
It is not too late to make plans for Pi Day on Saturday March 14th. People are using the day to educate others about how much of the pie or our resources are going towards military spending. One way to do that is by handing the War Resisters League’s Pie Chart to educate others and share about war tax resistance or simply putting some at your local library next to tax forms. You can find inspiration from what others have done on Pi Day in a blog by Ruth Benn, Getting Our Peace of the Pie. Let NWTRCC know if you have plans for Pi Day. We would love to share them with others!
Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer