Protests against war on Iran break out in US cities, UK
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Widespread protests have erupted across US cities against potential US military involvement in "Israel’s" war on Iran.
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Police officers confront protesters on June 14, 2025 (AP)
In recent days, small but vocal protests have taken place across several US cities, with demonstrators urging the Trump administration not to support "Israel's" war on Iran.
Protests were held in San Jose, California, on Tuesday, and in New York City and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday. Demonstrators carried signs with messages like “Hands off Iran,” expressing strong opposition to any US involvement in the escalating war.
The mere suggestion of American involvement has stirred controversy within Trump’s own MAGA base. Influential conservative figures like Tucker Carlson and former Trump advisor Steve Bannon have publicly opposed the idea of joining "Israel’s" war.
On Tuesday, about two dozen protesters gathered outside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose to denounce US military interference, according to local outlet Fox KTVU. Some waved Iranian flags, while others held signs reading “Hands Off Iran.” The demonstration was organized by the San Jose Peace and Justice Center.
Milwaukee demands arms embargo on 'Israel'
The previous day, hundreds of protesters rallied at Red Arrow Park in Milwaukee under the same slogan. According to WTMJ Milwaukee, demonstrators also called for an arms embargo on "Israel".
On Monday, a “Solidarity with Iran” protest took place in New York City, organized by the Bronx Anti-War group. Videos posted online showed demonstrators waving Iranian flags and holding controversial signs, including one declaring, "A genocidal apartheid state has NO right to exist," while a second showed an Israeli flag on fire with the caption "Karma is a f****** b****."
Earlier, on June 13, a protest occurred outside the US Mission to the United Nations in New York City, where one demonstrator held a sign reading: “I stand with Iran.”
UK joins in too
Meanwhile, on Saturday, thousands of people rallied in central London at an “emergency protest” under the banner: "Stop Bombing Iran – Stop Arming Israel," according to the Daily Express.
Thousands in Parliament Square calling for Israel to stop bombing Iran, for an end to the genocide against the Palestinians and for a full arms embargo. Read our full statement https://t.co/Y1NQ5td4sq pic.twitter.com/8mjNBpNXXO
— Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (@CNDuk) June 14, 2025
On June 14, a protest was held outside Parliament Square in Westminster, central London.
From today at #stopbombingiran #stoparmingisrael #endthegenocide protest outside of Parliament Square. pic.twitter.com/5yfnBqdAgs
— Massoud Shadjareh (@m_shadjareh) June 14, 2025
Despite this resistance, hawkish voices remain. Senator Lindsey Graham declared on X that Iran’s regime would attack the US after "Israel" if given the chance, adding, "President Trump is about to put a period on that statement."
Trump risks opening 'Pandora's Box' with Iran, analyst warns
Meanwhile, Ellie Geranmayeh, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, speaking to CNN, warned that US President Donald Trump is at a pivotal crossroads, facing a choice between a diplomatic off-ramp or launching what could become a war of choice.
“Leaders always have a choice in these moments,” she noted. “Trump has, in the past, stepped back from the brink of war with Iran, he has the ability to do so again.”
Geranmayeh warned that if Trump orders a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Tehran would treat it as a "declaration of war."
“Once you open up this Pandora’s box, we have no idea where things go,” she cautioned, adding that it would “most likely consume the rest of President Trump’s presidency.”
Trump has openly rejected a key intelligence assessment on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, instead aligning himself more closely with the Israeli occupation's aggressive stance.
The assessment, delivered in March by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, stated that Iran is not currently developing a nuclear weapon and that Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei has not reauthorized any weapons program since suspending it in 2003.
“The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,” Gabbard said during her March testimony. “Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”
However, when pressed how close he believed Iran had been to obtaining a nuclear weapon, during an exchange with a CNN reporter on Tuesday, in light of Gabbard's testimony earlier this year, Trump dismissed those findings outright. “I don’t care what she said,” he replied. “I think they were very close to having one.”
