LONDON, 26 Feb. - (ANA) - Hundreds of Iranian activists and academics have signed a petition, published on Thursday, announcing their rejection of any military attack on Iran.

 

The petition comes in response to foreign-based Iranian opposition leaders who have urged the US administration to strike the country.

 

The petition, published in Iranian media, was signed by 353 Iranian figures and activists.

 

Among them are prominent Iranian philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush, reformist former first vice president Eshaq Jahangiri, former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and political activist Behzad Nabavi, who was imprisoned in 2009 following protests that erupted after the presidential election.

 

The petition said violence and war were "among the greatest evils in politics", adding that "war claims lives, causes destruction and tragedy, devastates infrastructure, increases poverty rates, sacrifices innocents, fuels further violence, deepens crises and weakens the ability to resolve them".

 

It added that war also "darkens prospects for development, democracy, justice and prosperity in Iran".

 

The signatories said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has consistently pushed for a US war on Iran, and other advocates of war in Washington were "clearly aimed at destroying Iran".

 

They acknowledged the Iranian authorities suppression of protests last month but added that "the deep pain caused to the victims of the January 2026 events and other grievances cannot justify igniting a new war, exposing more Iranian citizens to grief and tragedy, or causing any level of destruction to the country".

 

Describing themselves as individuals concerned about Iran's future despite having differing political views, the signatories expressed unequivocal and unconditional opposition to any aggression against Iran.

 

"The solution, however difficult, lies within the country through effective internal change that opens the way for development and reform," they said, calling for people to raise their voices against "the destructive path of war".

 

They also said they "stand by our country in the face of any attack", urging Iranian citizens and influential figures to intensify opposition to war and foreign intervention.

 

The campaign comes amid a major US military buildup in the Middle East marking the largest concentration of American air power in the region since the 2003 Iraq war.

 

The United States has deployed two carrier strike groups as well as dozens of destroyers, submarines and fighter jets, and the scale of the deployment suggests preparations for a potential sustained campaign, not just a limited attack.

 

It follows deadly protests in Iran last month, after which some opposition factions called on US President Donald Trump to fulfil his "promises" and launch an attack on Iran.

 

Among them was the monarchist movement led by Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, whose rule was marked by authoritarianism, human rights abuses and deep economic inequality.  - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/26 February 2026 - - -