President Donald Trump is banging the drums of war as he ratchets up tensions with Iran. Recent reports that the US had almost launched attacks on Iranian sites, before pulling back, are very alarming. The disputed shooting down of a drone, together with the attacks on tankers in the Gulf of Oman, have all increased the possibility of war.
We urge all our members and supporters to contact their MPs to help prevent a war. We went into the catastrophic war on Iraq, in 2003, on the basis of false information and this cannot be allowed to happen again.
The origin of the current crisis with Iran lies with Trump’s attempts to trash the Iran Nuclear Deal which had effectively removed any possibility that Iran might develop nuclear weapons.
US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal was a step towards war
President Trump announced US withdrawal last year. The withdrawal, fresh sanctions and a ramping up of the US military presence in the Middle East, has led to serious doubts about the future of the deal – and of peace in the region.
As tensions increase, it should now be clear to all that the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal was a prelude to a much bigger confrontation.
Diplomacy is the path to peace
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has announced that he will halt some of the commitments agreed under the accord, in line with a dispute resolution mechanism included in the deal. He has appealed to the other signatories to make good on their commitments to the deal, to ease the economic difficulties inflicted by US sanctions. If this happens Iran will revert to full compliance.
CND will continue to campaign for a de-escalation in the crisis. Stand with us as we do so.