Iranian-American group sues Trump over war

Plaintiffs have families in Iran who have been harmed by the US war, they say.

People survey damage in the aftermath of a drone attack on a residential building in which one civilian was killed on March 31, 2026, in eastern Tehran, Iran [File: Majid Saeedi/Getty]

A group of Iranian Americans have filed a lawsuit against United States President Donald Trump, asking a court to order a halt to military action against Iran that they allege is harming them and their families and is in violation of constitutional war powers checks.

The complaint, filed in a Washington, DC, court on Thursday by the advocacy group National Iranian American Council (NIAC), argues the war will continue indefinitely and “cause imminent threats to the lives, limbs, health, property, and bare necessities” of Iranians, as well as Iranian Americans whom the organisation represents.

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Al Jazeera has a copy of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit details the impact the war, which has raged on for more than six months now, has had on several of its members, including US citizens and a US Army veteran, and their families who are still inside Iran.

The relatives of some plaintiffs were allegedly killed or injured in air strikes during the war, including while in their homes, or as they went about doing routine tasks.

The plaintiffs also allege greater effects on themselves and their families, such as economic difficulties caused by US sanctions, and the inability to access adequate healthcare, or travel amid an expanding sanctions regime.

Those still inside Iran, the lawsuit says, are in danger because the Trump administration is continuing the war without legal oversight or proper authorisation. Thousands of civilians, including hundreds of children, have been killed by the US in the war so far, according to the lawsuit, and others are at risk.

“They are all in imminent danger of harm to their persons and properties proximately caused by the unconstitutional war waged by defendant President Donald J. Trump,” the complaint says.

In September, a United Nations fact-finding mission said the US likely committed “war crimes” in Iran, including in air strikes that allegedly killed hundreds of civilians.

“No President should have the power to take this country into an indefinite war by himself,” NIAC President Jamal Abdi said in a statement on Thursday. “This lawsuit asks a fundamental question: can one person decide, on his own, to keep an entire nation at war?”

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.

原告称，他们在伊朗有家人，家人因美国发动的战争而受到伤害。

2026年3月31日，伊朗德黑兰东部，一栋居民楼遭到无人机袭击，造成一名平民死亡。图为袭击发生后的受损情况。[图片：Majid Saeedi/Getty]

一群伊朗裔美国人对美国总统唐纳德·特朗普提起诉讼，要求法院下令停止对伊朗的军事行动，他们声称这些行动正在伤害他们及其家人，并且违反了宪法对战争权力的制约。

周四，倡导组织“全国伊朗裔美国人委员会”（NIAC）向华盛顿特区一家法院提起诉讼，认为这场战争将无限期地持续下去，并对伊朗人以及该组织所代表的伊朗裔美国人的生命、肢体、健康、财产和基本生活必需品构成“迫在眉睫的威胁”。

美国对伊朗实施的三项航空制裁措施之一扰乱了伊朗的航班，迫使旅客改走陆路出行。

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半岛电视台已获得诉讼副本。

诉讼详细描述了这场已经持续六个多月的战争对几名成员（包括美国公民和一名美国陆军退伍军人）及其仍在伊朗境内的家人造成的影响。

据称，一些原告的亲属在战争期间的空袭中丧生或受伤，包括在家中或在进行日常活动时。

原告还声称，制裁对他们自身及其家庭造成了更大的影响，例如美国制裁造成的经济困难，以及在制裁制度不断扩大的情况下无法获得足够的医疗保健或旅行。

诉讼称，由于特朗普政府在缺乏法律监督或适当授权的情况下继续发动战争，那些仍身处伊朗境内的人们正处于危险之中。诉讼还指出，迄今为止，已有数千名平民，包括数百名儿童，在战争中被美国杀害，其他人也面临风险。

诉状称：“被告总统唐纳德·J·特朗普发动的违宪战争，直接导致他们的人身和财产面临迫在眉睫的危险。”

9 月，联合国一个实况调查团表示，美国可能在伊朗犯下了“战争罪行”，包括据称造成数百名平民死亡的空袭。

“任何总统都不应该拥有独自将国家拖入无限期战争的权力，”全国独立公民联盟（NIAC）主席贾迈勒·阿卜迪周四在一份声明中表示。“这起诉讼提出了一个根本性问题：一个人能否独自决定让整个国家陷入战争？”

周二，特朗普在联合国大会上告诉世界各国领导人，如果德黑兰不重返谈判桌，不与美国达成结束战争的协议，他正在考虑是否“消灭”伊朗。