Iran attack rattles US troops, vets as ceasefire offers hope

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - JUNE 22: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine discusses the mission details of a strike on Iran during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. U.S. President Donald Tr

Expand

PHOENIX - Iran's missile attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar sent shockwaves through both active-duty service members and veterans.

What we know:

The national organization, Veterans for Peace, is condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, calling it "immoral and criminal."

News of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran on Monday offers some relief, as both veterans and active-duty military personnel have expressed a strong desire to avoid another war.

The American people reacted to the United States government dropping bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend – from Boston, to Washington D.C., Atlanta, New York City and here in Phoenix.

What they're saying:

Veterans for Peace is calling on all peace and social justice coalitions to work together and organize active protests, demanding the Trump administration refrain from any further aggression against Iran.

"I just think, ‘My God, this is the American president who put our troops in harm's way," Susan Schnall, Veterans for Peace Board President, said.

She served as a naval nurse in Vietnam, and empathizes with active-duty servicemembers who have war fatigue and still suffer from PTSD after two decades of fighting in the Middle East.

"We, the United States, have triggered a conflict with Iran and made it into a hot war. As somebody who took care of people who were actually harmed in the American war in Vietnam, it is devastating," Schnall said.

Arizona’s leaders who served are also reacting.

Former U.S. Army intelligence officer Rep. Abe Hamadeh supports Trump, while Marine and Iraq War veteran Senator Ruben Gallego opposes his actions.

"The most important thing the United States can do now to protect our troops is deescalate and avoid letting it spiral into a larger conflict," said Navy combat veteran Senator Mark Kelly.