Statement on U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran
February 28, 2026
President Trump's premeditated, illegal attack on Iran aimed at regime change is an illegal war of choice, it is not supported by the American people, it was not authorized by Congress as required by Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and the 1973 War Powers Act, and it is a grave violation of international law.
The combined U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran are not justifiable on nonproliferation grounds. There was no imminent nuclear threat from Iran that justifies this reckless, brazen attack that has metastasized into a major regional conflict.
Trump and his aides have in recent days and hours claimed, without credible evidence, that Iran had restarted its nuclear program, had enough available nuclear material to build a bomb within days and was developing long-range missiles that could "soon" be capable of hitting the United States. All three of these claims are false.
This is the second time in less than a year that the United States and Israel, both nuclear-armed states, have launched attacks on Iran in the midst of ongoing U.S.-Iranian negotiations regarding Tehran's nuclear program.
As the Omani Foreign Minister and mediator of the talks reported just hours before Trump's attacks on Feb. 28, the U.S.-Iranian negotiations were very serious and making significant progress toward an effective, verifiable, lasting deal that could have blocked Iran's capabilities to build nuclear weapons.
The United States could have and should have negotiated in good faith with Iran to arrive at effective solutions that address concerns about Iran’s nuclear program and stockpiles of enriched uranium, including by securing the return of International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors who were ejected from Iran following the June 2025 U.S.-Israeli attacks. The return of the inspectors will be further delayed in the midst of a potentially drawn-out conflict. Without effective monitoring, the whereabouts and security of Iran's nuclear material will now become even more uncertain.
Although Iran's current leadership is repressive and the Iranian people deserve to choose their own government, war is not the answer. The U.S. Congress and responsible states around the world have a solemn moral and legal duty to oppose this rogue aggression, beginning with emergency legislation and international mediation to stop further hostilities by all sides.
—Daryl G. Kimball, Executive Director, Thomas Countryman, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy