WASHINGTON: The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution calling on President Donald Trump to end military action against Iran unless authorised by Congress, while the Senate later rejected a similar proposal.
The House approved the war powers resolution by a vote of 214-208, with four Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in support. However, the Senate voted 49-47 to block its own version of the measure just hours later.
Introduced by Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, the House resolution instructed Trump “to remove the use of United States Armed Forces from hostilities” against Iran unless Congress grants approval.
The measure, however, carries no binding legal force. Congress has approved similar war powers resolutions several times in recent months, but they have not resulted in an end to US military operations.
The four Republicans who supported the House resolution were Tom Barrett of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
In the Senate, Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine sided with Democrats in backing the proposal, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted with Republicans against it. Four senators did not participate in the vote.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress.
The votes reflected growing bipartisan concern over a conflict that Trump initially presented as a limited campaign expected to force Iran into submission but which has instead evolved into a prolonged military engagement for the United States.
The votes came as Trump recently ordered an escalation of military operations against Iran amid reports of additional US military casualties.
On Thursday, the president also pledged “major military punishment” for Iran and its Houthi allies after the Yemeni group attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, expanding the regional conflict to another key maritime route.
Meanwhile, two weeks after the collapse of an interim ceasefire, US forces carried out another overnight wave of airstrikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to launch attacks on American military bases in neighbouring countries.
