For IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Global Exchange Statement on Illegal War on Iran
February 28, 2026
Global Exchange stands in fierce opposition to the recent joint military strikes launched by the Trump administration and Israel against Iran. This escalation is not only a flagrant violation of international law and the U.S. Constitution but a direct assault on the global movement for peace and self-determination.
The Hypocrisy of “Strongman” Diplomacy
The current administration’s path to war is paved with documented contradictions. In 2011, Donald Trump repeatedly attacked the Obama administration, claiming a war would only be started by a leader who was “weak,” “ineffective,” and “had no ability to negotiate.”
Today, that projection has become policy. After claiming in June 2025 that he had already “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the President is now launching a “massive and ongoing” campaign against those same targets. This logic is a circle: if the previous attacks were successful, this war is unnecessary; if they weren’t, the public has been systematically misled.
An Illegal War of Choice
Article I of the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Resolution are clear: the power to declare war belongs to the people’s representatives in Congress, not the executive branch. These strikes are:
Unauthorized: No new Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) has been debated or passed.
A Violation of Sovereignty: This is a reckless war of choice aimed at regime change, bypassing active diplomacy and risking a regional catastrophe that will claim countless lives.
Human Rights Are Not a Pretext for Bombs
Global Exchange has long stood with the Iranian people in their struggle against internal repression. However, history proves that American bombs do not “deliver” human rights—they deliver humanitarian disaster and strengthen hardliners. We reject the cynical use of Iranian suffering as a marketing tool for military interventionism that only serves to further destabilize the Middle East.
Resisting the Theocratic Agenda at Home
We recognize that the violence exported abroad is inextricably linked to the repression being built at home. The thirst for conflict in Iran is mirrored by the administration’s attempt to dismantle our secular democracy and replace it with a Christian nationalist theocracy. We cannot allow the drums of war to drown out the urgent need to protect our own civil liberties, the separation of church and state, and the right to dissent.
Conclusion
Global Exchange calls on our supporters and the international community to demand an immediate ceasefire and a return to the negotiating table. We call on Congress to assert its constitutional authority and pass a War Powers Resolution to halt these unauthorized hostilities. True security is built through diplomacy and justice, not through illegal wars and domestic repression.
Take Action: Congress must act to stop this illegal escalation.
Contact your Representative and Senators and demand they support a War Powers Resolution to halt unauthorized military action against Iran. Tell Congress: No War on Iran! Contact your member here.