“Every member of United States Congress must join us in rejecting this aimless war,” the lawmaker added
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed President Donald Trump over his decision to approve attacks against the Iranian regime, calling the war “unlawful,” “unnecessary,” and warning it will have “catastrophic” consequences.
In a statement posted on social media, the lawmaker recalled that both parties were conducting negotiations in Geneva, saying they “could have saved off war” but Trump “walked away from these discussions and chose war instead.”
“Mr. President: this was not an inevitability. This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach. Stop lying to the American people. Violence begets violence. We learned this lesson in Iraq. We learned this lesson in Afghanistan. And we are about to learn it again in Iran. Bombs have yet to create enduring democracies in the region and this will be no different,” AOC added.
In this context, she said she will support a War Powers resolution that would see Trump have to get congressional approval before taking military action. Several other Democratic lawmakers have been calling for the measure since attacks began on early Saturday.
“In moments of war, our Constitution is unambiguous: Congress authorizes war. The President does not. I will do my part to uphold our Constitution by voting YES on Representatives Ro Khanna & Thomas Massie’s War Powers Resolution. Every member of United States Congress must join us in rejecting this aimless war,” AOC concluded.
The U.S. and Israel are currently carrying out what Washington has described as “major combat operations” in Iran, seeking to destroy its military capabilities and potentially topple the theocratic regime.
Axios detailed that strikes by Israel’s Air Force have targeted Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top figures. Initial assessments believe several targets have been successfully eliminated.
Iran has retaliated by launching missiles to Israel, as well as U.S. bases in the region including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the attacks a violation of the UN Charter and a “clear crime against international peace and security.” He said Iran will use all its “defensive and military capabilities.”
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