Washington, DC – A resolution aimed at limiting US President Donald Trump’s authority to engage in war with Iran has been defeated for the fourth time in the US Senate. Lawmakers supporting the measure have vowed to reintroduce it weekly.
This vote marked the first since the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week. While follow-up talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, did not result in a more permanent agreement, both nations have indicated their willingness for a second round of discussions.
Before the temporary halt in fighting, President Trump had repeatedly threatened to target civilian infrastructure in Iran. His stark warning on April 7, just hours before the ceasefire agreement, that ‘a whole civilisation will die tonight,’ intensified calls for Congress to curb his war-making powers.
Similar to previous attempts, Wednesday’s resolution largely failed along party lines, with a vote of 47-53. Republican Senator Rand Paul voted in favor, while Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted against it.
Proponents of the resolution argue that Trump exceeded his constitutional authority by initiating the war alongside Israel on February 28. The US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, allowing presidents to act unilaterally only in cases of immediate self-defense.
The Trump administration, however, has provided various justifications for its military actions, including the assertion that Iran’s cumulative actions since the 1979 Islamic revolution constituted an imminent threat to the United States.
Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, US Senator Chris Murphy characterized the conflict as a ‘bungled, mismanaged war’ that has fallen short of achieving several of the administration’s stated objectives. He also criticized the Trump administration’s lack of transparency and the absence of oversight from congressional Republicans.
Murphy stated, ‘We should not fail to note how extraordinary it is that our Senate Republican leadership has declined to provide any oversight for a war that is costing billions of dollars weekly, has already resulted in the loss of over a dozen American lives, has ignited a regional conflict across the Middle East, and is literally destabilizing economies worldwide.’
Republican Senator Jim Risch, however, asserted that President Trump was acting within his presidential authority, dismissing the resolution as ‘the same old, same old.’ He added, ‘It tells President Trump: ‘Put your tail between your legs and run.’ That’s what this resolution says.’ Risch further argued, ‘Not only does [Trump] have the right to do this, he has the duty to do this. He took an oath to defend the people of the United States of America.’
The US House of Representatives is anticipated to vote on its own resolution this week. Its passage in the House is considered more likely, especially given increasing apprehension about the war among some Republicans.
Even if successful in either chamber, the resolution’s impact would largely be symbolic. Should it pass both the House and the Senate, President Trump could still veto it. Overriding such a veto would then require a two-thirds vote in both chambers, a threshold often difficult to achieve.
However, lawmakers face a more significant challenge at the end of April, as the conflict approaches its 60-day mark. According to the War Powers Act of 1973, Congress must either authorize the military action at that point or approve a 30-day extension. Failure to do so would legally obligate Trump to commence withdrawing forces.
On Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that no ships entering or exiting Iranian ports had successfully breached the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz over the past 48 hours. CENTCOM confirmed that nine vessels had complied with US military orders to turn back. In a separate statement, the US Navy issued a warning to ships, stating that ‘vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure transiting to or from Iranian ports.’
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that Washington was preparing a new series of actions, described as the ‘financial equivalent’ of military attacks. Amid the ongoing conflict, the US had previously lifted some sanctions on Iran to help reduce surging global energy prices.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt informed reporters that the Trump administration had not formally requested an extension of the two-week ceasefire, which is scheduled to conclude next week. She expressed optimism regarding the potential for a second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad. Leavitt stated, ‘At this moment, we remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks.’
Concurrently, Iran’s state-owned television reported the arrival of a high-level Pakistani delegation in Tehran to coordinate a new round of discussions.
However, Major-General Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that the continuing naval blockade could jeopardize the fragile ceasefire. He stated, ‘If the aggressor and terrorist US seeks to continue its illegal action of imposing a naval blockade in the region and to create insecurity for Iran’s commercial vessels and oil tankers, this action by the US will constitute a prelude to a violation of the ceasefire.’
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