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Open Letter to Governments of West Asia

[ARABIC BELOW]

To the governments of West Asia;

We, the undersigned members of global civil society, are deeply alarmed by the war on Iran and the escalating violence threatening to engulf West Asia in a wider, devastating war.

GDAMS 2026 Appeal · A Call to Action Against Global Militarization

The global security landscape has deteriorated massively in recent years: the number of wars and violent armed conflicts active today is the highest since the end of World War II, erupting across the world and drawing in an unprecedented number of states and actors. From Gaza and the West Bank, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, and beyond, levels of violence, civilian suffering, and violations of international law have reached heinous heights, including the commission of genocide.

Massive US War Spending Hike Raises Debt, Taxes, Doubts

By Jomo Kwame Sundaram and Kuhaneetha Bai Kalaicelvan

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 27 2026 (IPS) – As US President Donald Trump pushes the world to war, arms spending has been rising worldwide. Wars secure more budgetary allocations, mainly benefiting the US-dominated military-industrial complex.

US military spending increases

After bombing Venezuela, the Trump administration raised its war budget from $1.0 trillion, 47% of discretionary government spending in 2024, to $1.5 trillion!

In 2024, the US accounted for over 36% of the world’s military spending of $2.7 trillion! This exceeded the total expenditure of the next nine biggest spenders – China, Russia, Germany, India, UK, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, France, and Japan!

China’s military budget for 2025 was $250-300 billion. Most others are US allies who have pledged to increase war spending from under 2% of GDP to 5%!

Macron’s “Advanced Deterrence”: A Dangerous Shift in French Nuclear Policy

By: Alain Rouy, IPB Vice President and Le Mouvement de la Paix President

French | English

On March 2, 2026, at L’Ile Longue nuclear military base in Brittany, Emmanuel Macron gave an extremely bellicose, dangerous, and irresponsible speech on French nuclear weapons.

Macron developed a new concept, that of “advanced deterrence”, which consists of positioning French strategic air forces in other European countries and allowing those countries to participate in nuclear exercises “in full transparency with the United States of America and in close coordination with the United Kingdom,” and in close cooperation with Germany.

Statement by the World Peace Foundation RDCONGO Africa: In response to the attacks against Iran and the military escalation in the Middle East

In response to the attacks against Iran and the military escalation in the Middle East

The World Peace Foundation DRCongo Africa expresses its deep concern and solidarity with the International Peace Bureau (IPB) in condemning the attacks carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran. These military actions constitute a serious violation of international law and threaten the stability not only of the Middle East but also of the entire global community.

For a New Foundation of International Institutions

The United States’ withdrawal from UNESCO,combined with the drastic reduction of its financial aid to UN agencies promoting the achievement of the SDGs(Sustainable Development Goals), was already undermining the objective of “human security” theorized by the UNDP in 1994 and progressively highlighted by various UN agencies, as acknowledged for example by Bertrand Badie in his book”L’Art de la Paix”(“The Art of Peace”-2024).

We are now witnessing a new assault on the United Nations(UN) with the establishment by the President of the United States of a “Peace Council”,with prerogatives that would extend beyond the question of Gaza.

Working Paper “On the Problem of Military GHG Emissions Assessment”

Published By: The Centre d’Estudis per la Pau J.M. Delàs (Centre of Studies for Peace J.M. Delàs)

The climate emergency represents one of the most serious problems currently facing humankind. It is widely known that anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) – those released by human activities – continue to be drivers of climate change. Both armed forces and the military industry emit GHGs. Signatories to the Paris Agreement are required to report their emissions; however, reporting the activity of their armed forces remains voluntary, and many choose not to do so. Combined with the vague and fragmented information the military industry tends to provide, this makes it difficult to obtain a clear and reliable picture of the GHG emissions for which the military sector is actually responsible. This being the case, numerous researchers have attempted to evaluate these emissions using a range of methodologies and primary sources.

The Hour is Getting Late: Report from the United States

Joseph Gerson, IPB Co-President
Speech delivered online at the Bikini Day Commemoration – Annual Gensuikyo Conference
Shizuoka, Japan | February 27, 2026

Battered by U.S. and Russian aggressions, the survival of the U.N., its charter, and international law are in jeopardy. Expiration of New START, inadequate though it was, eliminated the last remaining U.S.-Russian arms control agreement. China is annually adding about one hundred thermonuclear weapons to its arsenal, leaving us hostages to three nuclear scorpions in a bottle. Within the last year India, Pakistan, and Israel – all nuclear powers – have gone to war. Europeans are negotiating a second nuclear umbrella. North Korea continues its nuclear and missile deployments. And from South Korea to Poland, including Japan, there are pressures to join the club of nuclear terrorists.

US-Israel Aggression On Iran: Loop Of War And Resistance Will Continue

1 March 2026, Published at: ETV Bharat | By Anuhadra Chenoy, IPB Board Member

The US-Israel axis started an unprovoked war and aggression against Iran. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Defence Minister, Army Chief have been killed, as have been scores of civilians, including over 150 schoolgirls. The US – Israel combined operation using high-precision weapons costing millions of dollars and kamikaze drones continues to target the Iranian leadership with the objective of regime change. Iran has retaliated by bombing US bases and Israel in the fragile oil-rich Gulf region. This war of attrition escalates, lives are lost, destruction and wanton devastation underscore strategic objectives of the empire and its desire for global hegemony. Globally, countries are appealing for cease fire and de-escalation.

Save the dates for GDAMS 2026:April 10 to May 9

From Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine, Venezuela and Iran, levels of violence, civilian suffering, and violations of international law have reached heinous heights, including the perpetration of genocide.

This surge in conflict is not accidental or inescapable, it reflects a broader resurgence of imperialism and militarization, spearheaded by the US, in which brute force, military might and coercion have become dominant tools of international relations. Powerful states and regional actors continue to wage and fuel wars – not only through direct intervention but also through extensive arms transfers, strategic alliances and geopolitical competition – prioritizing narrow interests over human security and peace.