In response to intensive efforts by the Trump administration to ratchet up tensions with Iran, J Street’s Vice President of Government Affairs Dylan Williams issued the following statement:
“With their actions and rhetoric designed to heighten tensions and stoke conflict with Iran, John Bolton and the rest of President Trump’s war cabinet are playing an extremely dangerous game. By pressuring the international community to violate their commitments under the JCPOA nuclear agreement, the administration is deliberately goading Iran’s regime toward making unhelpful moves and seems eager to provoke a response that could spiral into armed conflict.
With aggressive statements about the deployment of US warships to the region and other belligerent rhetoric, the Trump administration is laying the groundwork for an unnecessary new war of choice which Congress has not authorized and which the American people do not want. It’s now vital that lawmakers take responsible steps to head off this steady march towards armed conflict — before it’s too late. We urge members of Congress to support the legislation introduced by Senator Tom Udall and Representative Anna Eshoo which makes clear that the president cannot launch an unauthorized war against Iran.”