Iranian Americans sue Trump, seeking a court order to halt the war with Iran

A group of Iranian Americans has asked a Washington, DC, court to stop US military action against Iran. The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) filed the lawsuit against President Donald Trump on Thursday, arguing that the war violates constitutional limits on presidential war powers.

The complaint says the conflict has continued for more than six months and threatens the lives, health and property of people in Iran and Iranian Americans represented by NIAC. The plaintiffs include US citizens and a US Army veteran whose relatives remain in Iran.

Plaintiffs describe the war’s effects

According to the lawsuit, relatives of some plaintiffs were killed or injured in air strikes, including in their homes or while carrying out routine tasks. The plaintiffs also cite financial hardship, difficulty obtaining adequate health care and barriers to travel amid an expanding sanctions regime.

NIAC says people still in Iran remain at risk because the Trump administration is continuing the war without proper authorisation or legal oversight. The lawsuit alleges that the US has killed thousands of civilians, including hundreds of children, and says others remain in danger.

NIAC statement and earlier UN assessment

NIAC President Jamal Abdi said on Thursday that no president should be able to take the country into an indefinite war alone. In September, a UN fact-finding mission said the US had likely committed war crimes in Iran, including in air strikes that the mission said killed hundreds of civilians.

On Tuesday, Trump told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly that he was considering whether to “annihilate” Iran if Tehran did not return to talks and reach a deal with the US to end the war.