Nationally and locally, community members are speaking out against the illegal, unprovoked attack on Iran. There have been weekly demonstrations in Fresno organized by Peace Fresno and other cities throughout the Central Valley, and people of conscience are showing up and expressing their views.
The war crime of bombing a school and murdering more than 150 girls and injuring more than 100 on the first day of the war has driven many Americans to the streets in protest.
Debbie Jo Wagner of Fresno was at a recent demonstration and said, “We’re all responsible, this war is profitable. It’s the war machine, and they are making a lot of money.
“I would ask these profiteers, do you have a conscience? Do you have children or grandchildren?”
Hajj Reza Nekumanesh of the Mohammed Center said, “I am out here because a terrorist rogue state, the Zionist settler colonial state of Israel, with their big brother, the yet to be United States, have come together to bomb one of the only remaining countries that has yet to bow to American imperialism.
“There were nuclear negotiations in play, and the attack did not come because there was a breakdown in negotiations; it came because there was a breakthrough.”
Kat McElroy, vice chair of the Fresno County Libertarian Party, held a sign that said, “End These Bankster Wars.” “The Libertarian Party has been antiwar for the last 50 years,” she said. “All wars should be declared by Congress. This is not a constitutional war.
“First and foremost, we should be focused on what is going on in our country and not be engaged in war. There’s a risk of World War III and a nuclear confrontation. Hopefully, people are sane and realize that is absolute destruction and, in this environment, it could even happen by mistake.
Elyssa, a young Fresno resident, was adamant about protesting. “It’s the only way to make a difference. We can’t go about our normal business because it’s not normal. Things are only going to get worse. We have to stand together to make a change.”
Linda, a retired schoolteacher, carried a sign urging the public to call Congress. “Sadly, over 1,300 innocent civilians in Iran, many of them women and children, have been murdered with our tax dollars,” she noted.
“Thirteen young American soldiers have been killed. My heart is filled with sadness about all these deaths, but the killing of the school girls on the first day of bombing is especially heartbreaking.
“These are war criminals that should be brought before the International Court of Justice and charged with war crimes.”
Follow the Money
There are many factors that led to the war on Iran. Israeli politicians, such as Benjamin Netanyahu, have called for attacking Iran for many years. The conservative Heritage Foundation authored a treatise called “Project for the New American Century” in 2000 that called for regime change in Iran.
Christian nationalists such as the ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, openly call for the creation of a “Greater Israel,” and it has been reported widely that some officers in the military are exhorting their troops to fight a “holy war” against Iran.
One of the biggest factors driving the war is big profits for military contractors and their shareholders.
CNBC reports that “defense contractor stocks have experienced significant gains in early March 2026, driven by intense geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, specifically following military engagements involving the U.S. and Iran. As investors seek shelter in stable investments, the sector has outperformed the broader market.”
Key Stock Market Gains (March 2–6, 2026)
- Northrop Grumman (NOC): +6%
- RTX Corporation (RTX): +4.7%–5.1%
- Lockheed Martin (LMT): +3%–4%, hitting new all-time highs
- Huntington Ingalls (HII): +2.1%
- General Dynamics (GD): +2.2%
- Palantir Technologies: +6%
- Leonardo DRS (DRS): +~15% on Feb. 24 following strong earnings
Trita Parsi is a prominent expert on U.S.-Iran relations at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. In a recent piece, “Strategic Victory for Israel, Mistake for the US,” he argues the war is a “major victory” for Prime Minister Netanyahu, designed to degrade Iran’s military and economic capabilities for more than a decade.
However, he sees it as a significant mistake for the United States, which is getting dragged into a potentially uncontrollable “quagmire” that does not serve its national interests.
Devastation of Iran’s civilian infrastructure. Parsi highlights that the war is not just targeting military sites, but constitutes a “war against the nation.” He points to the targeting of desalination plants and oil refineries, which has caused environmental catastrophes and severe suffering for ordinary Iranians.
Failed U.S. policy and sanctions. He contends that years of “maximum pressure” sanctions and the dismantling of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) nuclear deal decimated the Iranian middle class, forcing many into poverty. This created a desperate situation rather than strengthened opposition to the regime.
Iran’s strategy of making the war expensive. Parsi indicates that Iran is widening the war to make it “too expensive for everyone.” He explains that Iran fears a temporary ceasefire would only allow the United States and Israel to rearm and attack again, necessitating a strategy that makes the cost of the conflict unbearable to stop its continuation.
Avoidability of the conflict. Parsi emphasizes that the war was not inevitable and could have been avoided through diplomacy. He cites the withdrawal from the JCPOA as a key “dumb, nonstrategic” decision that set the stage for this conflict.
Parsi has been a vocal critic of the push for war, arguing that it threatens to cause a failed state in Iran, leading to mass refugee crises affecting Europe, while Israel remains relatively insulated from the consequences.
The future of this conflict cannot be predicted, but from all accounts, the unprovoked attack on Iran will have severe impacts on the world economy, geopolitical alliances and on the future of everyone.
