A resolution seeking to require US President Donald Trump to obtain congressional approval before taking any further military action against Iran failed to move forward in the US Senate, five days after the United States and Israel launched a military campaign targeting the Iranian government.
The measure was rejected in a 47–53 vote that largely followed party lines. If it had been approved, the resolution would have prevented further US military operations against Iran without the consent of Congress, in accordance with the War Powers Resolution, NPR reported.
The law, enacted during the Vietnam War, was designed to limit presidential authority over military engagements by requiring the president to inform Congress within 48 hours of deploying US forces into hostilities and to withdraw them within 60 days unless lawmakers grant authorisation or an extension.
The United States House of Representatives is expected to vote on a similar proposal on Thursday.
Democratic lawmakers have argued that Congress must reclaim its constitutional authority to declare war and restrict the president’s ability to initiate military action independently. Some senators have also described the recent strikes as unlawful.
Among those advocating for congressional oversight is Chris Van Hollen, a member of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He alleged that the president had misled the American public while launching what he described as an illegal war aimed at regime change in Iran.
Van Hollen also warned that the conflict was putting American lives at risk and had already caused significant civilian casualties, arguing that the actions undermined US interests rather than strengthening security.
Republican lawmakers, however, have largely supported the joint US-Israeli strikes, which reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeted Iran’s naval and ballistic missile capabilities.
Despite the broad backing, some questions remain among lawmakers regarding the scale and duration of the military campaign following classified briefings with defence and diplomatic officials.
The Senate vote came shortly after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that US and Israeli forces were close to gaining control of Iranian airspace. He reportedly suggested that the United States could sustain the military campaign for as long as necessary and indicated that the operation was only beginning.