Republicans in the US Senate are expected to block a Democratic-backed resolution that would force Donald Trump to end American involvement in the conflict with Iran. The vote, scheduled for Wednesday, comes amid continued escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran, with waves of strikes targeting Iranian command centres and missile sites.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune argued that President Trump is “acting in the best interest of the nation”, rejecting the notion that Congress should have approved the air campaign. Democrats have condemned the president for launching attacks without prior permission, while the administration’s rationale for the war continues to shift, according to the Guardian’s Andrew Roth.
The resolution would require Trump to cease US participation in the war and seek congressional approval before re-entering hostilities. However, Democrats would need at least five Republican votes to succeed, an unlikely scenario given the current political dynamics. The conflict has already claimed at least 787 lives in Iran, according to the Iranian Red Crescent, and displaced 30,000 people in Lebanon, the UN estimates.
Trump attempted to quell growing anti-Israel sentiment among his supporters by denying he was pushed into attacking Iran. Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense identified four of six American soldiers killed on Sunday in a drone strike on a US base in Kuwait, with the president warning “there will likely be more” casualties.
Global markets tumbled further on Wednesday despite US assurances, including Trump’s offer to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed. Experts warn that the conflict could drive Iran toward developing nuclear weapons, mirroring North Korea’s trajectory.
