US Senate passes war powers resolution to curb Trump's Iran campaign

The US Senate has passed a war powers resolution seeking to pause President Donald Trump's military campaign against Iran and require congressional approval before any further action. The vote on Tuesday was 50-48, marking the first time the chamber has approved such a measure in this effort. The resolution had already cleared the House earlier in the month.

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Four Republicans crossed party lines to support the measure: Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Nearly all Democrats backed the resolution, with Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman the lone Democrat to vote against it. The absence of two Republicans, including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was recently admitted to hospital, also affected the outcome.

The vote is largely symbolic and does not by itself fully carry the force of law, but it is a significant political rebuke to the White House. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the chamber had now taken up a war powers resolution for the 10th time in an effort to rein in the Iran campaign. He argued that Republicans had repeatedly sided with Trump rather than the public, and said Americans had paid the price for what he called a historic blunder.

The resolution comes against the backdrop of a wider conflict that began on 28 February, when Trump joined Israel in launching attacks against Iran. According to the supplied material, that campaign has continued through this month and was the second time since Trump returned to office that he involved US military forces in a war against Iran. The administration has said the latest war was needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, an aim Tehran has long denied.

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The issue has become a test of congressional war powers and of Republican support for the president's foreign policy. The supplied material says the House approved the resolution earlier this month, while the Senate vote reflected growing concern among some Republicans about both the war and the deal Trump struck with Iran to end it. The Pentagon is also seeking $80 billion from Congress, mostly to replenish munitions and stockpiles linked to the conflict.

The broader significance lies in the balance between presidential military authority and Congress's constitutional role in authorising war. The repeated attempts to pass war powers resolutions show that lawmakers remain divided over how far the administration can go without legislative approval. They also underline the political strain created by a conflict that has already drawn in US forces and raised questions about the scale and cost of continued operations.

What remains unclear is how the resolution will affect the administration's next steps, given that the measure is described as largely symbolic. It is also not clear whether the White House will alter its approach or seek to continue the campaign under existing authority. The next developments to watch are any further action in the House, the administration's response, and whether Congress moves on the Pentagon funding request tied to the war.

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