Congress passes war powers measure for first time, rebuking Trump’s war with Iran

The Republican-controlled US Senate has approved a measure instructing President Donald Trump to halt the war in Iran or seek congressional approval before continuing military action.

A handful of Republicans joined Democrats in Tuesday’s 50-48 vote. The same measure was passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this month.

But the resolution is largely symbolic because, even after passing both chambers of Congress, it will not be sent to Trump for his consideration and does not carry the force of the law.

It came as Republicans in Congress have expressed scepticism about a peace plan Trump agreed with Iran, and the unpopular conflict approaches its fifth month.

Trump criticised the resolution on Tuesday night, calling it “poorly timed and meaningless”.

“So, I have Iran on the ‘ropes,’ ready to go down for the fall… and the U.S. Senate decides to have a poorly timed and meaningless War Powers Act Vote,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!”

The vote marks the first time that both chambers of Congress have approved a concurrent resolution instructing a president to end a military action since the War Powers Resolution of 1973 was enacted.

A concurrent resolution expresses the sentiment or will of Congress, as opposed to other forms of legislation that go to the president to be signed into law. In 2019, Trump vetoed a joint resolution that called for the removal of armed forces from hostilities in the Yemeni civil war.

Middle East analyst Laura Blumenfeld called it “more of a slap on a wrist than a handcuff, because it has no legal binding”.

But she told the BBC she thought what “it does reflect is the American people’s sentiments”.

The concurrent resolution’s passage is significant because it adds to pressure on the White House to find an end to the Iran war, which is unpopular with the public after petrol prices spiked.

The same measure was passed earlier this month by the US House of Representatives, where four Republicans joined every Democrat to approve it in a 215-208 vote.

But a White House official told the BBC that with the ceasefire agreed on 7 April, there are no hostilities from which to withdraw American forces.

The official also said the measure only passed because two Republican senators were absent: Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick.

Four Republican senators voted with Democrats in support of the resolution: Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Bill Cassidy.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman was the only member of his party to vote against it.

It was the latest sign of division among Trump’s fellow Republicans ahead of the midterm elections in November, which will determine whether the party can hold on to its slender majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Some Republicans have resisted the president recently, including by rejecting his plans to create a $1.8 bn (£1.3bn) “anti-weaponisation” fund and approving Ukraine aid.

Tuesday’s vote was the 10th time that Senate Democrats have forced a war powers vote since the start of the war.

It came the same day as the Pentagon asked Congress for some $80bn, most of which is to pay for the war with Iran.

Federal law requires congressional approval to continue military actions for more than 60 days. The US-Israel strikes on Iran began on 28 February, although the Trump administration has argued April’s ceasefire reset the clock.

The White House can also extend the deadline for another 30 days, citing national security.

Currently, the US and Iran have agreed to continue a ceasefire and are working towards an end of hostilities under a memorandum of understanding that was signed by the presidents of both countries last week.

Under that memo, Washington and Tehran have 60 days to negotiate a broader agreement on ending Iran’s nuclear programme.