Peace SOS is deeply shocked by the American and Israeli air strikes on Iran on 28 February. War means death, injury and people fleeing their homes. The attacks are also a violation of international law, as the peace organization PAX has pointed out. Neither the United States nor Israel has been attacked by Iran, and there was no authorization from the UN Security Council. In fact, peace negotiations were taking place at the time.
On Sunday, we read in Middle East Monitor that at least 148 people were killed in a missile attack on a girls’ school in southern Iran. It is very sad that young and innocent lives have been lost. We call on all parties to stop the violence and cherish all lives. Life is sacred.
Our thoughts are with all the people living in Iran, Israel and the surrounding region. We pray/hope that the violence will end soon and that the countries will return to the negotiating table. Perhaps the United Nations can play a role in the peace negotiations. We are also concerned about the people who have had to flee their homes.
We are aware that the regime in Iran is/was a very cruel one. Thousands of peaceful demonstrators were shot dead during the recent protests, demonstrators have been sentenced to death, prisoners have been tortured, and women demand freedom. That is why Peace SOS has frequently visited the Iranian embassy since 2017 to discuss these issues, as well as the proxy wars in which Iran was involved. We discussed the need for peace in Syria in 2014, the need for peace between Palestine and Israel, the release of prisoners of conscience from Evin Prison, the proper treatment of prisoners, and the abolition of the death penalty.
Although we are just a small peace organization and sometimes wonder whether our visits to the Iranian embassy actually achieve anything positive, we nevertheless hope that actions such as these contribute to a more peaceful society. We believe that regime change through war is not the solution. Innocent people pay the price, and it can plunge the country into complete chaos, as was the case in Iraq. That is why, in recent correspondence with the American embassy, we wrote that we hoped a war with Iran could be prevented.
It is also often argued that Iran should not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. We have discussed this with diplomats on several occasions. They indicated that, according to Islam, nuclear weapons are “haram”. The peace organization PAX states on its website that there is no evidence that Iran is working on nuclear weapons, and that this was also indicated by the American security services in 2025. PAX also points out that in the past, diplomacy has proven effective in curbing Iran’s nuclear program. For example, Iran complied with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the 2015 agreement. PAX notes that US President Trump tore up this deal during his first term as president.
We believe that no country should possess nuclear weapons and that all nuclear weapons should be abolished. We urge all countries to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
In short, we call for an end to all violence in Iran and the surrounding region. May we take care of each other and nature. May we soon see a world in which all children can play.
Authors: May-May Meijer and Hanna Bjørkøy
Note: This article was published in Dutch under the title Stop de oorlog in Iran en het Midden Oosten on the Joop BNNVARA website on 1st March 2026.
Photo: a white crocus, photographed by May-May, 2nd March 2026.