Anti-War Activist: US Troops Seeking Ways to Avoid Fighting Iran War

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

A prominent American anti-war activist and filmmaker says a growing number of US service members and their families are contacting his organization in search of ways to avoid participating in the joint US-“Israeli” war of aggression against Iran.

Mike Prysner, executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, said in a series of posts on X that his organization has been receiving an overwhelming number of calls from American troops seeking guidance on how to refuse or evade deployment in the escalating conflict.

Prysner revealed that he had recently spoken with the mother of a US soldier who had been allowed one final phone call before surrendering his phone and being sent into combat. According to the activist, the serviceman told his mother that his unit was being deployed for “boots on the ground” operations the same night.

The soldier said that their commander framed the mission in religious terms, claiming the war was intended to “bring about the second coming of Christ.” Prysner also noted that many troops were initially told they were being deployed for training exercises and were only informed of the combat mission after it was too late to withdraw.

The revelations come as protests have erupted across the United States against Washington’s participation in the war alongside the “Israeli” entity. Demonstrations have been reported in major cities including Seattle, Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, where protesters condemned the attacks on Iran and warned of the consequences of expanding the war.

Public opposition to the conflict appears widespread. A poll conducted by the University of Maryland found that only 21 percent of Americans support a war against Iran, with the vast majority opposing military escalation.

Critics have also pointed to the contradiction between the current escalation and the earlier campaign promise by Donald Trump during the 2024 election, when he pledged to pursue a policy of “No New War.” Many of his supporters now say they feel betrayed by Washington’s involvement in the attacks.

Meanwhile, a report by The New York Times indicated that evidence suggests the United States targeted a girls’ elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab during a February 28 strike. The attack martyred more than 170 people, most of them children, highlighting the devastating civilian toll of the US-“Israeli” aggression against the Islamic Republic.