Washington, DC – A resolution aimed at curbing US President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war with Iran has been defeated for the fourth time in the US Senate, with lawmakers vowing to reintroduce the measure weekly.
The vote marked the first since the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week. Subsequent negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, did not result in a more permanent agreement, though both parties have indicated their willingness for a second round of talks.
Before the cessation of hostilities, US President Donald Trump had repeatedly threatened to target civilian infrastructure in Iran. His April 7 threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” made just hours before an agreement was reached, intensified calls for Congress to restrain Trump’s war powers.
Similar to previous votes, Wednesday’s resolution failed largely along party lines, with a 47-53 tally. Republican Rand Paul voted in favor, while Democrat John Fetterman voted against.
Proponents of the resolution argue that Trump acted beyond his constitutional authority by initiating the war alongside Israel on February 28. The US Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, with presidents only permitted to unilaterally launch operations in cases of immediate self-defense.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has provided a series of justifications for engaging in war, including the argument that the cumulative actions of Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution constituted an imminent threat to the US.
Speaking before Wednesday’s vote, US Senator Chris Murphy described the conflict as a “bungled, mismanaged war” that has failed to achieve several of the administration’s stated objectives.
He further criticized the Trump administration’s lack of transparency and the absence of oversight from Republicans in Congress.
“We must not overlook how extraordinary it is that our Senate Republican leadership has refused to conduct any oversight of a war that costs billions of dollars weekly, has already resulted in the loss of over a dozen American lives, has sparked a regional conflict across the Middle East, and is literally destabilizing economies worldwide,” Murphy stated.
Senator Jim Risch, a Republican, asserted that Trump was acting within his presidential authority, dismissing the measure as “the same old story.”
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“It tells President Trump: ‘Tuck your tail between your legs and run.’ That’s what this resolution implies,” he remarked.
“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,” he added.
The US House of Representatives was anticipated to vote on its own resolution this week, with its passage in that chamber considered more likely, especially given increasing apprehension about the war among some Republicans.
The success of the resolution in either chamber would largely be symbolic. Even if it passed both the House and the Senate, it could be vetoed by Trump. Both chambers would then require a likely insurmountable two-thirds vote to override the veto.
However, lawmakers could face a more significant challenge at the end of April, when the war reaches its 60-day mark. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the US Congress must authorize the military action at that juncture or approve a 30-day extension.
Otherwise, Trump would be legally obligated to commence withdrawing forces.
US blockade continues
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 stated that nine vessels had complied with US military orders to turn back.
In a separate statement, the US Navy announced it was warning ships that “vessels will be boarded for interdiction and seizure when transiting to or from Iranian ports.”
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, stated that Washington was preparing a new series of actions that would be the “financial equivalent” of military attacks. The US had lifted some sanctions on Iran amidst the war to mitigate soaring global energy prices.
Speaking to reporters, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration had not formally requested an extension of the two-week ceasefire, which is scheduled to conclude next week.
She expressed an optimistic outlook on the prospect of a second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
“At this moment, we remain very much engaged in these negotiations, in these talks,” she affirmed.
Meanwhile, Iran’s state-owned television channel reported that a high-level Pakistani delegation had arrived in Tehran to coordinate a new round of discussions.
Still, Major-General Ali Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), cautioned that the ongoing naval blockade could jeopardize the fragile pause in fighting.
“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,” he stated.
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