Letter: Pursue diplomacy with Iran

As the drumbeats for war with Iran get louder, some in Congress are seeking a diplomatic path to a peaceful alternative ["Tech sanctions put on Syria, Iran," News, April 24].

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) has introduced a bill, H.R. 4173, to encourage robust, sustained diplomacy between the United States and Iran. Her efforts are backed by a substantial majority of Americans, 81 percent of whom, according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll, favor direct diplomatic talks between the two countries to resolve the situation.

The April Istanbul negotiations showed flexibility on both sides. To instead engage in so-called preventive wars is immoral, illegal and ultimately economically hazardous. It's time to energetically pursue the path of peace.

Martin Melkonian, Uniondale

Editor's note: The writer is a board member of the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives, a nonprofit activist organization.