MPAC Welcomes U.S.-Iran MoU But Declares De-escalation Long Overdue After an Illegal, Costly, and Damaging Conflict
Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | June 18, 2026 —MPAC Welcomes the signing of the 14-point memorandum of understanding by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Palace of Versailles after the G7 summit.
The immediate and permanent termination of military operations, the preservation of Lebanon’s sovereignty, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the lifting of sanctions represent a vital pivot toward diplomacy. However, as we look toward the 60-day negotiation framework for a final agreement, MPAC stands firm in asserting a painful truth: this war should have never happened.
This conflict was a catastrophic waste of American taxpayer dollars, a profound violation of our nation’s core democratic values, and a tragedy that resulted in lives being lost where earlier diplomacy would have saved them. For months, the executive branch engaged in and expanded military hostilities against Iran without a formal declaration of war, completely bypassing the Congressional authorization explicitly required under Article I of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Congress was left as a bystander while billions of public dollars were poured into another unauthorized, destabilizing conflict, funds that should have been invested in American families, infrastructure, and communities.
Furthermore, this catastrophic war exacted a heavy toll on our democratic principles at home. We have watched with deep alarm as history threatened to repeat itself, echoing the darkest abuses of the post-9/11 era. The conflict sparked an immediate, unconstitutional threat of expanded surveillance, profiling, and civil liberties violations targeting American Muslims, Iranians, and Arabs. Simultaneously, dehumanizing wartime rhetoric fueled an unacceptable surge in anti-Muslim, anti-Arab, and anti-Iranian hate crimes and violence across the country, leaving our communities to bear the brunt of a hostile domestic climate.
As negotiations proceed over the next 60 days, MPAC calls on the administration and Congress to ensure that any final, durable agreement permanently closes the door on military escalation. True "America First" policy demands that we safeguard both the constitutional order and the safety of all citizens at home. Moving forward, Congress must reassert its constitutional role over matters of war and peace, permanently reject discriminatory domestic surveillance authorities, and unequivocally protect American Muslim, Arab, and Iranian communities from hate-fueled bigotry.
We support this ceasefire framework not as a victory, but as a critical, overdue correction. It is time to permanently replace the paradigm of endless war with one of strict constitutional adherence, fiscal responsibility, and unwavering diplomacy.
