TEHRAN — The rotunda of the Cannon House Office Building became a somber stage for dissent on Monday, April 20, as 66 U.S. military veterans and their family members were arrested for protesting the U.S.-Israeli campaign of aggression against Iran.

Clad in fatigues and holding red tulips, the demonstrators unfurled banners reading “End the War on Iran” and “We Can’t Afford Another War.”

The group performed a solemn flag-folding ceremony to honor the American service members killed since Washington and Tel Aviv started the war on February 28, standing in silent formation before Capitol Police moved in to charge the participants with crowding and obstructing.

The protest, coordinated by a coalition including Veterans For Peace, About Face, and the Center on Conscience and War, represents a deepening rift between the military community and the Trump administration.

Among those zip-tied was Mike Prysner, an Iraq War veteran who described the war as “already deeply unpopular” and a burgeoning crisis for the White House.

This sentiment is manifesting within the active-duty ranks, where more than 100 service members have already filed for conscientious objector status.

Prysner also highlighted the “legal right” of objection, backed by a team that will “fight to ensure” service members are successfully “kept from deployment.”

Christina Sarson, an Army veteran from Pennsylvania, emphasized the human toll, noting she was there to protect her sons from the “moral injury” and lifelong trauma inherent in such escalations.

Protesters also pointed to the deaths of Iranian civilians in strikes on homes, schools, and hospitals.

According to Iran’s Forensic Medicine Organization, American and Israeli strikes have martyred 3,375 Iranian civilians during the 40 days of the 2026 war. This figure includes 496 women and 383 children, though the highest concentration of casualties, 969 people, is among young adults aged 19 to 30.

This act of civil disobedience echoes the 1971 Vietnam-era occupation of the Capitol, signaling a profound exhaustion with “forever wars” that many veterans believe are being waged at the expense of the interests of the American people.

The timing of the arrests is critical, as a Pakistan-mediated ceasefire is set to expire this Wednesday.

President Trump has remained characteristically aggressive as a claimed U.S. military blockade continues to escalate threats.

He has made numerous fallacious and contradictory statements, especially regarding Iran’s positions for a possible deal, and has also threatened to “blow up” the entire country if Tehran does not submit to Washington’s demands.

Recent polling indicates that 66 percent of Americans want an end to the war, driven by both ethical concerns and staggering economic anxieties. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, gas prices have surged past $4 a gallon, and consumer prices rose 3.3 percent in March alone.

Beyond the economic strain, the opposition is increasingly nationalistic and moral.

Many veterans characterize the war as an “Israel first” priority that neglects “America first” domestic needs, arguing that the tens of billions spent could have instead repaired crumbling infrastructure or expanded healthcare.