1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

The path of escalating threats and ultimatums from the White House towards Iran is deeply concerning. Withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal and reinstating harsh sanctions has already strained diplomatic channels, forcing the two nations to communicate indirectly through intermediaries like Oman. Now, President Trump's rhetoric of "bombing the likes of which they have never seen before" and threatening secondary tariffs on nations purchasing Iranian oil brings us perilously close to another destabilizing military conflict in the region. Rather than continuing down this destructive path, we should explore diplomatic offramps and seek to rejoin the nuclear agreement through principled negotiations. The risks of war with Iran are simply too high – further turmoil would endanger American lives, imperil our allies, roil global energy markets, and inflame tensions across the Middle East. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over matters of war and peace. Robust oversight hearings and a revived congressional role in scrutinizing the administration's Iran policy are urgently needed to rein in the dangerous escalation and pursue a more prudent course through strengthened diplomacy and multilateralism.