On April 7th, the world held its breath as Donald Trump threatened genocidal escalation in the illegal US-Israeli war on Iran, stating: "a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again." Though eventually, the US stepped back from the brink and announced a "ceasefire" with Iran and the beginning of negotiations. A month on, it is clear that this is not a true ceasefire, but rather a lull in the fighting as the US and Israel flounder to secure any meaningful victory and are incapable of admitting defeat.

After illegally kidnapping Nicolas Maduro—the duly-elected leader of Venezuela—in early January, the US empire has shifted its priority to targeting two other nations that have long resisted its imperial hegemony: Cuba and Iran. The strategies being implemented to break these two nations differ in execution, but both approaches—if not halted—will be incredibly violent and cause the death and immiseration of millions.

For decades, U.S. imperialism has sought to dominate West Asia through coups, sanctions, military bases, and proxy wars, all under the banner of "freedom" or "democracy," but the real aim has always been the suppression of independent development and control of oil, trade routes, and the political future of the region. Today's talk of regime change or "nuclear security" is not about liberation, but about maintaining imperial domination.

Rep. Greg Landsman claims Iran poses an "existential threat" and that "diplomacy has been given every opportunity." Normally, we would demand accountability from our elected officials, but Landsman has made clear, time and again, that he does not serve his constituents. Instead, we call on the people to abandon Landsman, who continues to stand with empire, apartheid, and unending war.