The US Senate has approved a resolution directing President Donald Trump to end US military involvement in Iran or seek congressional authorization before continuing military operations.
Based on the text of the resolution, the president is required to withdraw US armed forces from hostilities against Iran unless there is a formal declaration of war or specific authorization from Congress for the use of military force.
The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 50 to 48. The BBC reports that four Republican senators joined Democrats in supporting 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 the measure.
The same resolution was previously approved by the US House of Representatives earlier this month.
Despite its passage, the resolution is largely symbolic. The BBC notes that even after being approved by both chambers of Congress, it will not be sent to Trump for signature and does not carry the force of law.
The Senate has voted on war powers resolutions nine times in the past, but none had previously received enough support to pass.
Trump sharply criticized the measure, calling it pointless and ill-timed.
“So, I had Iran cornered and just short of defeat… and at that very moment the US Senate decided to hold a badly timed and completely pointless vote on the War Powers Act. These senators made my job more difficult, but I’ll get it done anyway, one way or another, because I always achieve my goals,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social.
The resolution reflects continuing debate in Washington over presidential war powers and Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing military action, particularly as tensions between the United States and Iran remain high.
Header image: President Trump called the war-powers vote ‘poorly timed and meaningless.’ Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
