A war with Iran, either by choice or miscalculation, would produce dramatic repercussions in an already destabilized Middle East and drag the United States into another armed conflict at immense financial, human, and geopolitical cost.—Retired US generals

While I firmly believe that Iran’s government should be held accountable for its sponsorship of terror, regional aggression, illegal detention of dual U.S.-Iranian nationals, and repression of its own citizens, the Trump administration’s go-it-alone policy toward Iran has alienated us from our key allies and raised the possibility of sparking another conflict in the Middle East. —Sen. Dianne Feinstein

The current, very worrying standoff between pro-Iran forces and anti-Iran forces in the Levant runs a high risk of jolting the whole region into a catastrophic military conflagration whose dimensions, duration, and costs on the region’s peoples cannot be tabulated or even, really, imagined. But the standoff has implications far beyond that long-troubled region, too.—Helena Cobban

Before we embark on another irresponsible and costly war, we have the benefit of hindsight. We must heed the lessons of history, and Congress must exercise its constitutional authority to counter the president’s reckless march toward war with Iran. Congress alone has the authority to declare war — not the president. —US Senators Tom Udall and Richard J. Durbin:

We remain deeply convinced that the JCPoA is key to increasing stability and security in the Middle East region.—European Union

The more practical problem with the Cheney-Bolton worldview is that it is profoundly inaccurate. The world is not nasty, brutish and short. Life has improved immeasurably over the past 100 years. Political violence — deaths from wars, civil wars and terrorism — has plummeted. And this has happened in large part because human beings also have the genes to cooperate, to compete peacefully and to weigh the costs of war against their benefits.—Farid Zakaria

Maybe the administration’s real objective is to force the regime’s collapse...That, too, could be a welcome outcome, were U.S. sanctions capable of delivering it. History doesn’t offer much encouragement, however, which raises the question of whether Mr. Trump has carefully considered the difficult corners into which his policy may lead. We’re guessing he has not.—Washington Post Editorial Board

The politics of fear and rage bend towards tyranny. Institutions alone will not contain this threat. Only a politics built partly on hope can do so. As Abraham Lincoln suggested, a democratic republic will only endure if touched by “the better angels of our nature”.—Martin Wolf

While the Iranian people are dealing with the devastation caused by more than two weeks of flash flooding, the authorities in Iran cast blame, the US issues empty declarations of support, and the EU has so far been unable to deliver tangible humanitarian support.—CHRI’s Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi

California has the largest death row in the country with 737 condemned inmates and more than 2/3rds are people of color. The death penalty runs counter to our fundamental understanding of human rights and values. As governor, I cannot and will not oversee the execution of anyone.—Gov Gavin Newsome