The US House of Representatives has passed a war powers resolution aimed at restricting President Donald Trump's authority to continue military action against Iran. The vote, which took place on Wednesday, saw 215 votes in favour and 208 against, with four Republicans crossing party lines to support the measure.
The resolution, which now moves to the Senate, calls on Trump to seek congressional approval for the ongoing conflict or withdraw US forces. The vote came nearly two weeks after House Republicans cancelled an earlier scheduled vote, citing a lack of support to defeat it.
This marks the fourth time the House has voted on such a resolution since hostilities began over 90 days ago. The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires a president to obtain congressional approval after 90 days of conflict, though the White House has argued that a temporary ceasefire, in place since 8 April, resets this timeline.
The resolution's impact is largely symbolic, as it is a concurrent resolution that does not require the president's signature. However, it highlights growing dissent among Republicans, with four senators having previously joined Democrats to advance a similar measure.
House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar issued a joint statement, saying: 'Following repeated attempts to get sycophants in the Republican-controlled House to join us, House Democrats successfully passed our war powers resolution today... It is now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing.'
The vote comes amid low public support for the war and concerns over rising fuel costs, which some Republicans fear could impact the party in November's midterm elections. Trump has previously targeted Republicans who criticised the conflict, including Representative Thomas Massie, who lost a primary after challenging the president.
