June 18, 2025 - Growing Threat of a Trump-Iran War
Saying no to Trump dragging us into war, plus new pressure points on Musk, helping protect against workplace raids and more
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IS DONALD TRUMP ABOUT TO TAKE US TO WAR AGAINST IRAN?
Donald Trump has been dragging us towards an avoidable war with Iran ever since he blew up President Obama’s successful agreement to shut down their nuclear program in 2018, and now the decisive moment may be here. Having given Israel the green light to launch military strikes even while Iran prepared for the next round of negotiations for his long-promised “better deal,” he is now reportedly actively considering having the United States join the conflict directly, possibly participating in the bombing of key sites like a protected nuclear facility at Fordo.
Yesterday, Trump threatened to “take out” Iran’s supreme leader and demanded their “unconditional surrender,” and met with his national security team behind closed doors before speaking to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also urged residents of Tehran to flee and repositioned multiple military assets to the region.
This war would be popular with no one (polls suggest 60% of Americans and even 53% of Republicans think the U.S. military should not get involved), and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are rushing to stop Trump from engaging in it. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) have introduced a measure under the 1973 War Powers Resolution to block U.S. strikes without congressional authorization, as has Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA). These are privileged resolutions, so they should get votes within a matter of days. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is pushing another measure to prohibit the use of federal funds or military forces to support Israel in war on Iran without consent from Congress.
Let’s reach out to our members of Congress and make it clear to them we do not support Trump pulling us into another Middle Eastern war. They should be insisting that any strike on Iran be submitted to Congress for approval, and voting against rubber stamping Trump’s attacks. We can find scripts and language to use here or send this letter via Resistbot by texting SIGN PBOEUZ to 50409.
The Answer Coalition is also holding protests in multiple locations nationwide today – we can find details here. We can also use this email tool from the National Iranian Council endorsing the war powers resolutions and this call tool from the Working Families Party, and sign on to petitions led by Just Foreign Policy and Win Without War.
A RESPONSE TO POLITICAL VIOLENCE
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” How can we respond with enlightenment and love to the assassinations of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Marc, and the attempted assassinations of Minnesota state senator John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife Yvette, who took eight bullets as she used her own body to shield her daughter? Here are two suggestions:
We can advance their legacies by working to elect politicians who share their values—by volunteering with Vote Forward, Swing Left, Sister District, Center for Common Ground, and other organizations we come across.
We can write a postcard of appreciation to a state or local elected official we respect and admire—google for contact info. They’re probably reeling from the news out of Minnesota, and a note of gratitude would do them good.
PROTECT WORKERS DURING AN ICE RAID: EMPLOYER’S GUIDE, TOOLKIT, CANVASSING
As predicted, Trump quickly reversed course again on workplace raids at farms and hotels, ending the pause on ICE operations after just four days. Those who employ immigrant workers are going to need advice and support on preparing for further ICE actions and preparing their workers. Here’s how we can help:
This guide from the National Immigration Law Center breaks down what employers need to know including the most common immigration actions that affect employers, how to prepare for these actions, the rights and responsibilities of an employer, and what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows up. Let’s spread the word about it within our networks and with local businesses.
We can also take a look at this toolkit from the NILC and Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition for ways to respond in the moment that a raid happens. Based on lessons learned from organized community responses to a massive raid that happened in East Tennessee during the first Trump administration, this kit includes rapid response instructions as well as community care and organization information. Let’s make sure it’s in the hands of folks who may need it.
The Workers Over Billionaires campaign is training folks to canvass local employers to share vital information on constitutional rights. We can sign up to join one of their trainings TODAY at 7PM ET or next Tuesday at 7PM ET, registering here and here.
T-MOBILE FUNDS FAR RIGHT IN DOING BUSINESS WITH MUSK
Taking down authoritarianism requires knocking out its pillars of support, especially in the business community, and no one has done more than #TeslaTakedown in forcing corporations to pay a price for siding with the fascists. Already conducting regular protests and public divestment campaigns, they’re now expanding their efforts, pressuring T-Mobile to cancel its contracts with Starlink and stop funding Elon Musk’s attacks on democracy. Musk is set to gain billionaires from their “T-Satellite” program launching next month. Let’s add our names to this petition to T-Mobile’s CEO and board of directors and be part of this campaign – especially if we’re T-Mobile customers.
And let’s also gear up for the movement’s next major day of action – we can find a #MuskMustFall event for June 28th near us here.
PROTECT MARRIAGE EQUALITY AT THE STATE LEVEL
Extremist Christian leaders and Republican legislators are calling for the reversal of marriage equality and a return to bans on same-sex marriage – which has been legal nationwide for a decade since the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, and was legal in Massachusetts a whole decade earlier than that. There were more than 700,000 same-sex married households in the United States as of 2021 who will lose their legal rights if these homophobes get their way.
Overturning same-sex marriage should be unthinkable, but overturning Roe v. Wade should have been unthinkable too. There is a risk that, starting with the most right-wing states, marriage rights will start being chipped away and peeled back much like reproductive rights were.
How can we fight back? A lot of states still have marriage discrimination laws on their books from before 2015 we can seek to overturn, and they can also enshrine marriage equality in their state constitutions as Delaware is seeking to do right now. Let’s check the status of our state’s protections (we can start with this guide as of 2022) and urge our legislators to take positive action to safeguard marriage equality. We can send governors and legislators this message via Resistbot by texting SIGN PSDHUI to 50409.
KEEPING AN EYE ON…
Thanks for the suggestion to write a note of thanks to our legislators…they’ve been receiving many letters of demands and requests…it is their job to represent us, but we can show appreciation for their service. (I do also have representatives who are aligned with my beliefs).