Washington, DC (June 21, 2019) – Following reports that last night U.S. President Donald Trump called off a strike on a number of targets in Iran due to concerns over the high number of civilian casualties the strike would have caused, CIVIC’s Executive Director, Federico Borello, issued the following statement:
“We are relieved that an act of restraint brought the United States and Iran back from the brink of conflict. If the situation were to escalate, a significant and entirely avoidable number of civilian casualties would very likely occur in Iran and possibly well beyond.
“Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence throughout the Middle East, with Yemen and Syria still mired in wars that have resulted in thousands of civilian casualties and Iraq engaged in a slow and fragile recovery. Regional and international leaders should focus on ending the violence in Yemen and Syria rather than start a new conflict.
“We call on the governments of the United States and Iran to continue to exercise restraint and for these parties and the international community to take steps to de-escalate the situation immediately.”
Background:
- National Public Radio reports President Trump “decided the attack was out of proportion.”
