A group of 353 Iranian political figures, researchers, civil society activists, and public intellectuals from across a broad spectrum of political and ideological backgrounds have signed and published a statement titled “No to War and Aggression Against Iran.” The signatories have also invited citizens to join a public campaign under the same name through an online petition platform.
The list of signatories includes prominent political, academic, and civil society figures representing a wide range of perspectives. Among them are Eshaq Jahangiri, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Behzad Nabavi, Abdolkarim Soroush, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Ali Rabiei, Ali Jannati, Hamidreza Jalaeipour, Ahmad Shirzad, Seyed Mostafa Mousavi Lari, Korosh Ahmadi, Reza Nasri, Fayyaz Zahed, Gholamreza Ghafari, and many others.
In their statement, the signatories describe war and violence as “the greatest evils in politics,” emphasizing that war kills, destroys infrastructure, deepens poverty, sacrifices innocent lives, fuels further violence, and undermines prospects for development, democracy, justice, and prosperity in Iran. The text argues that military escalation would exacerbate existing crises and diminish the country’s capacity to resolve its challenges. The statement explicitly criticizes what it describes as warmongering, sanctions, and threats by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hawkish policymakers in Washington, asserting that such actions aim to destabilize and weaken Iran.
At the same time, the signatories stress that the painful loss of life in Dey 1404 (January 2026) or any other grievance cannot justify war or the destruction of the country. Emphasizing political diversity among themselves, the authors state that “without hesitation and without qualification” they oppose any form of aggression against Iran. They argue that solutions to Iran’s problems - however difficult - must emerge from constructive, development-oriented internal reforms rather than external military intervention. They further declare that in the event of aggression, they will stand in defense of the country. The signatories also call on fellow citizens, as well as individuals with influence and public standing, to raise their voices against war and foreign intervention.
The publication of the statement comes amid heightened regional tensions and growing concerns over potential military escalation involving Iran. By gathering support from individuals across political divides, the initiative reflects an attempt to articulate a broad-based civic position rejecting war while emphasizing national sovereignty and internally driven reform.