03/01/2026
Statement on the Escalating War with Iran
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness
We are deeply troubled by the expanding military assault on Iran and the widening regional war it now threatens to become. As Christians shaped by the reconciling love of Jesus Christ, we grieve every life lost and every family now living in terror. Decisions of war and peace are measured not in political claims but in human lives.
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has repeatedly affirmed that war must never be entered into lightly. Military force must be a last resort, and international disputes must be addressed through sustained diplomacy, accountability, and multilateral engagement grounded in international law. Our General Assemblies have called for negotiated agreements that constrain nuclear proliferation, reduce regional tensions, and prioritize civilian protection.
We are gravely alarmed that this expanding military campaign is already resulting in civilian casualties and retaliatory strikes across the region. Reports that civilian infrastructure, including schools, has been struck heighten our alarm and underscore the devastating human cost of escalation. The people of Iran, many already living under repression and economic hardship, will bear the brunt of destruction, displacement, and fear. Families across neighboring countries now face renewed instability and the prospect of a widening war. Civilians, not political leaders, will suffer first and longest. History warns us that regime-toppling interventions and open-ended military campaigns often unleash consequences far beyond what leaders anticipate.
We affirm clearly: the Iranian government’s repression, corruption, and human rights abuses are real and grievous. Our opposition to this escalating military action is not a defense of authoritarian rule. Nor does our concern end with another nation’s abuses. Every government, including our own, is accountable for how it wields power, and democracies must guard against actions that erode the rule of law and constitutional restraint. Rather, our opposition reflects our conviction that bombs do not create democracy, and airstrikes do not build just societies. Lasting peace and freedom require sustained diplomacy, support for civil society, regional de-escalation, and accountability under international law. Our church has long urged:
• renewed diplomatic engagement rather than military brinkmanship
• congressional oversight and adherence to constitutional war powers
• protection of civilians as a moral and legal priority
• serious investment in nonproliferation and multilateral agreements
• a foreign policy that reduces, rather than expands, cycles of retaliation
As Presbyterians, we confess that true security does not come through military might but through justice, restraint, and accountability. We call for an immediate cessation of further military escalation and for a return to sustained diplomacy grounded in international law. The stakes are too high for impulsive action or open-ended conflict. We pray for wisdom and courage among leaders, for the people of Iran, for Israelis and Palestinians, for U.S. service members, and for all who may suffer as a result of this decision. And we recommit ourselves to Christ’s call to be peacemakers in a world too quick to reach for war.
