Applications for conscientious‑objector status are surging among US military members amid the war in the Middle East.

Activists say many soldiers oppose fighting on moral grounds, especially after deadly US‑Israeli strikes on Iran, including an attack on a girls' school condemned by the UN.

Veteran and campaigner Mike Prysner explains what conscientious objection means, why more troops are applying now and how social media exposure to civilian suffering is shaping resistance within today's armed forces.