Call for Submissions: Iran Beyond the Headlines
Updated: 1 day ago
On June 21, 2025, President Trump ordered a major missile strike on Iran’s key nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—without seeking congressional approval, effectively sidelining constitutional War Powers. The strikes, carried out in coordination with Israel and dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, deployed B‑2 stealth bombers with 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker‑buster bombs and sub-launched Tomahawks. According to U.S. officials, the operation inflicted “monumental damage” that could set back Iran’s nuclear program for years.
However, the full extent of the destruction remains uncertain. Satellite imagery reveals collapsed tunnels and structural damage, yet the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports have not been granted access to verify underground impact. Iran maintains that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strike and that radiation levels remain stable.
The U.S. action marks a significant escalation—Washington has directly entered what began as an Israel-Iran conflict, prompting Iranian missile strikes on a U.S. base in Qatar and elevated tensions across the Middle East.
Iran has vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz and pursue “everlasting consequences” for the U.S., while world powers ranging from China and Russia to the U.N. are urging immediate de-escalation and renewed diplomacy.
Domestically, opposition was swift and bipartisan. Senator Bernie Sanders, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Thomas Massie, and Ro Khanna labeled the strikes unconstitutional and potential war crimes. Yet, some Republicans defended the strike as a strategic success.
We invite writers—journalists, historians, analysts, and policy experts—to submit essays, features, or investigative pieces that go beyond headlines. We’re seeking in-depth analysis on issues such as:
Constitutional and international law implications of initiating war without Congressional approval
Long-term repercussions for nuclear non-proliferation
Geopolitical flashpoints in the Middle East and Gulf region
Civilian, environmental, and infrastructural consequences
Diplomatic pathways to de-escalation
We NEED Your Voice
Whether you’re on the ground in Iran, part of the global diaspora, or simply watching in fear and fury from afar, your story matters.
We are calling on Iranian civilians, refugees, students, artists, journalists, and dissenters around the world to respond to this moment, not solely as witnesses to history, but as its authors.
Even if the strikes have not directly impacted you—even if you are “just” an observer, a family member, a friend, a student abroad—your insight holds weight. Silence has never protected our communities. Expression might.
We welcome submissions across forms and perspectives, including:
First-person accounts of surviving Trump’s June 21 bombings or their aftermath on Iranian soil
Memoirs, essays, and dispatches on how U.S. militarism fractures daily life, families, and futures
Reflections on identity, exile, and dislocation—especially in light of U.S. aggression, Muslim bans, or generational trauma
Creative nonfiction, poetry, photo essays, and multimedia work that reveal Iran’s complexity, beauty, and culture beyond Western headlines
Media critiques and essays exposing how global coverage erases nuance, vilifies Iranian voices, or glorifies war from a distance
This is not just a political moment—it is a human one. And the stories we publish will challenge, complicate, and expand the narrative taking shape in real time.
Documenting History Matters
Let’s be clear: on June 21, 2025, President Trump launched missiles at Iran without Congressional approval, bypassing the War Powers Resolution and challenging constitutional norms.
The strike—which involved over 125 aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons, including bunker-buster bombs—targeted Fordow, Natanz, and Iranian hospitals, schools, and power infrastructures, which were directly affected, and Iranian authorities report at least 657 deaths and 2,037 injuries from earlier Israeli airstrikes and related escalations.
Domestically, bipartisan outrage erupted. Representatives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the strike "grounds for impeachment," while House and Senate resolutions—including those from Thomas Massie, Bernie Sanders, and Tim Kaine—are now being pushed to reaffirm Congressional authority to declare war.
This is real violence on real streets disrupting daily life: electricity, clean water, education, and healthcare are all suffering. That’s why your voices matter, even if you are only an observer: this is a historic moment that demands documentation, analysis, and bearing witness.
The scale and the framing in Western media risk reducing human lives to military targets, sanitized by political rhetoric. Your testimony is the antidote.
Peaked your interest? Learn more: Call for Submissions: Illegal Deportation Shatters Lives.
Submission Guidelines
We welcome submissions across all open categories. Please follow the guidelines below to ensure your work is properly considered:
File Uploads: You may include up to five files with your submission. Accepted formats include Word documents, PDFs, audio recordings, photographs, and video files that support or accompany your written narrative.
Cover Letter: A cover letter is required for all submissions. This should provide a brief introduction, explain the context of your piece, and note whether anonymity is requested.
Document Format: Written submissions must be formatted as a Word Document or PDF, using 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and clearly titled.
Deadline: Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, unless otherwise stated in your specific call.
Anonymity and Privacy: If you request anonymity, we will remove all identifying details and handle your submission with the utmost confidentiality. Your safety and privacy are top priorities for this project. We adhere to strict ethical editorial standards to protect the interests of every contributor.
Please carefully review the specific submission requirements for the call you’re responding to before submitting. We look forward to hearing your story and honoring it with the care it deserves.
Typos? Not on our watch. This article has been fact-checked and finessed by our eagle-eyed editors. Have more to contribute or see something worth calling out? Let us know.
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