Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson Condemns Escalation in Middle East, Calls for Congressional Oversight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson issued the following statement regarding the escalating tensions between Israel, Iran, and the United States: 

“The current situation in the Middle East is deeply troubling. I have long maintained that Iran must never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons—nor should any nation in the region. Diplomacy, not unilateral military action, must guide our approach to preventing nuclear proliferation. 

I supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiated through U.S. leadership and in partnership with our allies. While imperfect, it was the most effective means of restraining Iran’s nuclear ambitions at the time. President Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw from the deal—against the counsel of our allies—undermined global security and allowed Iran to resume uranium enrichment at alarming levels. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent preemptive strike on Iran, on the eve of potential U.S.-Iran negotiations, was unnecessary and provocative. U.S. intelligence agencies and Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), have confirmed there is no evidence Iran is actively building a nuclear weapon. 

Today’s U.S. military strikes on Iranian facilities were equally unjustified, as there was no imminent threat to American security. Moreover, the President failed to consult Congress—the sole branch of government with the constitutional authority to authorize such actions.

I demand that President Trump immediately brief Congress before taking any further military action. The American people deserve transparency. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the Iraq War, launched on false intelligence, which cost thousands of lives and billions of dollars. 

It is time for restraint, accountability, and a return to diplomacy.” 

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