Richmond City Council approves resolution on Israel-Iran conflict

The Richmond City Council approved an emergency resolution Tuesday calling for diplomacy and an end to hostilities between Israel and Iran following what the city described as a June 12 Israeli military strike on Iranian territory.

According to Richmond's resolution, the conflict began with a June 12, 2025, Israeli attack on Iran that allegedly targeted civilian infrastructure, followed by Iranian military retaliation. The document states that the conflict has resulted in civilian casualties on both sides.

The City Council voted 6-0 to place the item on the consent calendar, with Vice Mayor Cesar Zepeda abstaining from the individual item but joining the unanimous vote to approve the full consent calendar.

The approved resolution urged President Donald Trump and the U.S. government to avoid military involvement and instead support diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. It also called for nuclear transparency and universal oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"The City of Richmond has long demonstrated its commitment to peace, human rights, and international justice through resolutions addressing global conflicts," the agenda report stated.

The resolution specifically noted Israel's status as a nuclear-armed state outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty framework while describing Iran as an NPT signatory. It called attention to what it characterized as disrupted diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States regarding sanctions and nuclear capabilities.

The adopted resolution affirmed the rights and safety of Iranian-American, Jewish, Arab, and other global communities in Richmond affected by foreign conflicts while pledging to oppose "war, xenophobia, and hate in all forms."

The resolution, sponsored by Councilmember Soheila Bana and co-sponsored by Mayor Eduardo Martinez, condemned military aggression by nuclear-armed states against non-nuclear countries and called for the immediate cessation of hostilities between the two nations.

Richmond has previously passed resolutions on international conflicts and global issues.

In October 2023, the Richmond City Council passed a resolution after hours of debate that declared the city stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza and accused Israel of conducting ethnic cleansing and collective punishment.

Tonight's resolution adoption has no fiscal impact on the city.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM - SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

Grandview Independent needs your financial support to continue delivering the news that matters to our community. Quality journalism costs money, and we can't do it without readers like you.

SUBSCRIBE NOW and get:
• Unlimited access to all articles
• Newsletters with exclusive content
• The satisfaction of backing independent local news that serves your community

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE - Starting at just $10/month

FOLLOW US FOR BREAKING NEWS:
• Twitter: @GrandviewIndy
• Instagram: @GrandviewIndependent
• Facebook: @Grandview Independent