50501 Veterans Official Statement: U.S. Bombing of Iran’s Nuclear Sites
We, the members of 50501 Veterans, unequivocally oppose the recent American bombing of Iran. This was a direct act of war, taken unequivocally by the President without Congressional authorization as required by the U.S. Constitution and settled law.
Now, the President has issued an ultimatum to Iran: make peace or face “other targets struck with speed, precision, and skill.”
This is not diplomacy. This is provocation backed by force, without legal authority and in violation of the President’s oath to the Constitution and federal law.
Specifically Article I, Section 8, Clause 11: “The Congress shall have Power… [t]o declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal [(basically hiring mercenaries to capture or destroy enemy property)], and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water”.
The Supreme Court has expressly stated that the Federal government’s War Powers, while expansive, “are only those which are to be derived from the Constitution…” The President does not have the Constitutionally enumerated power to declare war.
As former service members who have witnessed the toll of combat, we have experienced first-hand how aerial strikes – even the most precise – carry consequences that ripple far beyond the initial targets. Each detonation risks civilian lives, fuels cycles of retaliation, and undermines the long-term security goals our nation seeks to protect.
We therefore urge our national leaders to take the following steps:
Halt further strikes immediately and commit to no additional use of force without explicit Congressional authorization.
Pursue every diplomatic channel – bilateral, multilateral, and back-channel – to de-escalate tensions.
Provide Congress and the public with a clear articulation of strategic objectives, legal justifications, and metrics for success.
Center the voices of Veterans and active duty personnel in policy deliberations; those who serve should never be an afterthought.
War is not destiny. Real strength lies in restraint guided by strategy, not reflexive violence. We stand ready to lend our experience to any effort that prioritizes peace, accountability, and the safeguarding of all lives.
Signed,
50501 Veterans