Proclamation
On the Urgent Necessity of Ceasefire and Diplomatic Resolution in the United States–Iran Conflict
Issued March 25, 2026
The people of solidarity in Vermont, faithful to the common good and to the sanctity of every human life, call upon the government of the United States, upon the Congress, and upon all people of goodwill to demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the war against Iran.
We Observe:
That since February 28, 2026, over fourteen hundred Iranians — including more than two hundred children — have perished in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. That six American servicemembers have already given their lives. That approximately seven thousand American Marines and paratroopers now stand poised for a ground assault on Kharg Island — an escalation that threatens to multiply these losses catastrophically, on all sides.
That the United States Congress has not authorized this war. That the War Powers Resolution demands congressional deliberation before the commitment of American forces to sustained hostilities. That this deliberation has not occurred.
That the Strait of Hormuz crisis, while grave, admits of diplomatic resolution — as demonstrated by the successful Omani-mediated negotiations that produced the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and as evidenced by Iran’s stated willingness to engage Vice President Vance in direct talks.
We Declare:
First, that no strategic objective justifies the imminent ground invasion of Iranian sovereign territory. The seizure of Kharg Island would constitute an act of war of a magnitude that forecloses diplomacy for a generation. The lives of the seven thousand servicemembers staging for this operation — and the thousands of Iranians who would die defending their homeland — are not expendable assets in a negotiation.
Second, that the path to durable peace requires not merely the cessation of hostilities but the construction of a new security architecture in the Persian Gulf — one that addresses Iran’s legitimate security concerns, including the security guarantee that any nation would require after suffering the assassination of its head of state.
Third, that the bipartisan antiwar coalition now forming in Congress — spanning Senator Sanders’ War Powers Resolution, Senator Paul’s call for a rapid end to hostilities, and Representative Pat Ryan’s opposition to the $200 billion war appropriation — reflects the authentic will of the American people, who have not consented to this war.
Fourth, that third-party diplomatic channels, including Turkey, Oman, Qatar, and the newly normalized relationship between the United States and Venezuela, should be urgently explored and supported as pathways to ceasefire.
We Call Upon:
President Trump to extend the March 23 strike suspension indefinitely and to withdraw the ground invasion order, recognizing that the greatest deal of his presidency would be not the conquest of an oil island but the brokering of a peace that reshapes the Middle East.
The United States Senate to immediately vote on the pending War Powers Resolution and to assert its constitutional authority over the continuation of hostilities.
Vermont’s Congressional Delegation — Senator Sanders, Senator Welch, and Representative Balint — to continue and intensify their opposition to unauthorized military escalation, with particular urgency regarding the Kharg Island ground operation.
All Americans to recognize that true national strength is demonstrated not in the capacity to destroy but in the courage to extend the hand of peace, even to an adversary — and that inclusivity, not domination, is the foundation of lasting victory.
Issued by the American Solidarity Party of Vermont in accordance with the principles of the common good, subsidiarity, solidarity, and the consistent ethic of life.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” — Matthew 5:9
INCLUSIVITY IS VICTORY.