The U.S.–Israeli military assault on Iran and its dangerous repercussions across the Middle East sparked a wave of condemnation among Arab and Muslim Americans across the Detroit area. Local leaders called for an immediate halt to the wide-scale military operations to prevent the region from sliding into a broader war that could threaten U.S. strategic interests and national security while contradicting the wishes of the American public, which largely opposes new wars in the Middle East.

The Middle East entered a highly dangerous phase early last Saturday when a surprise U.S.–Israeli attack sought to destabilize the Iranian government through the assassination of the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, along with senior political and military leaders.

Iran responded quickly with sustained retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and several U.S. military bases throughout the region. The confrontation later expanded into Lebanon after Israeli forces launched a wide-scale military offensive under the pretext that Hezbollah had joined the regional confrontation.

Observers fear the conflict could expand further if additional regional actors enter the confrontation, particularly since the administration of President Trump has yet to present a clear exit strategy from the crisis. Analysts warn that a prolonged conflict could lead to severe human and economic losses.

Political condemnation

U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) quickly condemned the military operations against Iran in several posts on the social media platform X, challenging Trump’s claim that the operation — dubbed “Epic Rage” — would eliminate imminent threats from Iran, prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and allow Iranians to overthrow their leadership.

Tlaib wrote that the United States and Israel were ignoring both international law and the American public’s opposition to another war in the Middle East.

In a statement issued Saturday, the Palestinian American congresswoman said Trump was acting in accordance with the wishes of the “American political elite and the Israeli apartheid government”, while ignoring the overwhelming majority of Americans who are clearly saying, “No more wars.”

Public opinion polls indicate strong opposition among Americans to military escalation against Iran, with some surveys showing that nearly 75 percent of respondents oppose direct military confrontation and prefer diplomatic solutions.

Tlaib warned that the operations conducted by Washington in coordination with Israel could ignite “a catastrophic regional war that will bring security to no one but cause unbearable suffering.”

She called on Congress to convene immediately to halt the bloodshed and exercise its constitutional authority to stop what she described as an “unhinged president.”

The U.S. Senate failed Wednesday to pass a War Powers Resolution aimed at halting hostilities against Iran, with Republicans voting against the measure while Democrats largely supported it.

Michigan leaders warn against another war

Michigan State Rep. Alabas Farhat (D-Dearborn) issued an urgent appeal to policymakers in Washington, warning against pushing the United States into another military conflict in the Middle East.

Farhat called for shifting national priorities away from foreign wars that drain resources and toward addressing domestic economic challenges affecting Americans’ daily lives.

The Lebanese American lawmaker had warned against U.S. involvement in a war with Iran even before the conflict erupted.

Farhat also criticized the financial costs of the war, noting that the military campaign — dubbed “Roaring Lion” by Israel — is costing American taxpayers approximately $1 billion per day.

He emphasized that the military action was launched without authorization from Congress, describing it as an “illegal war.”

Farhat argued that those funds should instead be used to lower costs for working families and to “protect families and deliver justice”, rather than dragging the country into “another endless war.”

Farhat, whose district includes Dearborn and parts of Detroit, has been a strong advocate against military escalation in the Middle East and has aligned himself with activists supporting the “No War With Iran” movement.

In an interview with Fox 2 Detroit, Farhat reiterated that the United States should focus on domestic needs rather than becoming entangled in another prolonged overseas conflict.

Dozens of protesters gathered Saturday along Jefferson Avenue in front of Hart Plaza to protest U.S. military strikes on Iran. – Photo by the Detroit News

Detroit protests

Parallel protests were held in New York City and Washington, D.C.

In Detroit, dozens of demonstrators gathered at Hart Plaza shortly after the attack on Iran for a rally organized by the Moratorium Now! Coalition, the Anti-Fascist Organizing Committee and other allied groups.

Protesters carried signs accusing the Trump administration and Israel of committing “a crime against humanity” and attempting to ignite conflict across the Middle East and beyond.

Organizer Abayomi Azikiwe described the attack as “unjustified”, noting that it occurred while negotiations were still underway in Oman, which he said demonstrated the Trump administration’s lack of seriousness about pursuing diplomatic solutions.

Participants warned about the humanitarian and economic consequences of the war and criticized the use of American taxpayer money to finance wars abroad while Americans struggle with housing shortages and rising living costs.

Coalition news conference

Several organizations — Arab Americans for Progress, Detroit Action, the Michigan Working Families Party, Voters Not Politicians and Jewish Voice for Peace Action — held a news conference Wednesday in Detroit calling on Michigan’s congressional delegation to oppose any new funding that would allow Trump to continue the war.

The news conference came hours before the U.S. Senate voted down a War Powers Resolution aimed at limiting Trump’s authority to continue the war with Israel.

The measure failed 52-47, with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) the only Republican to support the resolution alongside Democrats, while Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the lone Democrat to oppose advancing it.

Speakers also linked Trump’s immigration policies to his aggressive foreign policy in the Middle East.

Detroit City Councilwomen Gabriela Santiago-Romero speaking at the press conference.

Local leaders speak out

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Americans do not want another war.

“Families across this country are already struggling,” Hammoud said. “Housing costs are rising. Groceries and utilities are more expensive. Healthcare is more unaffordable than ever. Yet whenever a war erupts, billions of dollars suddenly appear.”

Detroit City Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero said her constituents oppose war with Iran and also want Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents removed from Detroit streets.

State Rep. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) echoed those concerns.

“Enough is enough,” Byrnes said. “We do not want war abroad, and we do not want state-sanctioned violence on our streets at home.”

Layla Elabed, organizing director of Arab Americans for Progress, said Congress must stop what she called “Trump’s one-man march toward war.”

“This is about protecting human life, preventing another devastating and endless war and defending our democracy,” she said.

Abbas Alawieh, adviser to Arab Americans for Progress and candidate for Michigan’s Second State Senate District, said many Arab Americans in southeast Michigan have family members directly affected by the conflict.

“Much of our community has family on the other side of these bombs,” he said.

Imam Elturk speaks at the press conference while (from left) Imad Hamad and Imam Elahi listen. – Video grab

Faith leaders condemn the war

The Muslim Imams Council of Michigan, in partnership with the American Human Rights Council (AHRC), held a press conference Tuesday at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights.

Participating religious leaders included:

• Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom
• Imam Steve Mustafa Elturk, president of the Islamic Organization of North America (IONA) in Warren
• Imam Arif Huskić, a Bosnian American imam

They strongly condemned what they described as illegal and unconstitutional U.S. and Israeli military operations and called on Trump to honor his campaign promise to “end wars, not start them.”

Elturk read the council’s statement criticizing military operations conducted without congressional authorization or international legitimacy.

Elahi described the war as “a betrayal of diplomacy”, noting that negotiations had been making major progress and that only one meeting remained to resolve the remaining political disputes.

Elahi, who emigrated to the United States from Iran in 1991, said he believes Ayatollah Khamenei’s repeated statements that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons.

He condemned the killing of the Iranian leader in a U.S.–Israeli strike.

“What a shame, what an injustice and what a tragedy that a religious leader who issued a fatwa prohibiting nuclear weapons would be killed,” Elahi said.

He warned that the war serves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political agenda and could drag the region into total destruction while undermining U.S. credibility worldwide.

Elahi added that the war contradicts the will of the American people.

“Does this make America great again? No,” he said. “Does this put America first? No.”

Civil rights leaders speak out

Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council, said the war contradicts the democratic values the United States claims to represent.

He warned that the conflict would fuel anti-American sentiment throughout the Middle East.

Attorney Ali Jaafari, speaking on behalf of Dar Al-Dhikra, addressed the legal implications of the war, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Jaafari said the war lacked constitutional legitimacy and warned that American soldiers and civilians abroad are paying the price for policies driven by foreign interests and war profiteers.

A survivor’s warning

Huskić, a survivor of the Bosnian War, delivered an emotional message about the devastating human cost of armed conflict.

“Those who have experienced war know that peace is not simply an option — it is a necessity,” Huskić said.

CAIR calls for action

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Michigan) urged Americans to contact the White House and members of Congress to demand an end to the war.

CAIR described the conflict as being fought “in service of Israel.”

Humanitarian relief efforts

As the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon worsens due to ongoing Israeli airstrikes, the Bint Jbeil Benevolent Association (USA) launched an emergency appeal urging Lebanese expatriates to support displaced families.

Association president Samih Baydoun said many residents from Bint Jbeil have been forced to sleep in the streets without food or shelter.

During a press conference at the Bint Jbeil Cultural and Social Club in Dearborn, Secretary-General Mohammad Talal Bazzi said donations would be transferred legally to relief organizations in Lebanon.

Former Dearborn Heights City Council President Dave Abdallah said the aid effort will focus on temporary emergency housing, medical assistance and essential supplies.

Donations can be made through the association’s website: www.bintjbeil1.us

Several Arab American organizations, mosques and community centers across Metro Detroit have also dedicated charitable funds to assisting displaced families in southern Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut’s southern suburbs.