U.S. House Passes Resolution to Halt Trump’s War on Iran

A resolution to limit U.S. President Donald Trump’s authority to wage war against the Islamic Republic of Iran passed the U.S. House of Representatives on the 3rd (local time). Four Republican lawmakers joined DPK members in voting for the measure, underscoring a split within the Republican Party over the Iran conflict. Trump, however, said the same day that ceasefire talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran were in the final stage and suggested a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) could be signed this weekend.
The House approved the resolution by a vote of 215 to 208. It would bar the president from continuing military action against the Islamic Republic of Iran without congressional approval. The measure also calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops engaged in hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran, except in cases involving an imminent attack on the United States or its allies.
In the Republican-controlled House, four lawmakers — Thomas Massie, Tom Barrett, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Warren Davidson — voted with the DPK. Similar resolutions had been rejected three times since the start of the Iran war, but this one passed after Republican defections emerged.
Even if the resolution clears the Senate, it remains unclear whether it would have any practical effect. The Trump administration has maintained that congressional efforts to restrict war powers are unconstitutional. The New York Times (NYT) said, "This vote carries more symbolic weight than real constraints."
Still, the vote is a political burden for Trump. Citing the latest budget disputes that have drawn pushback within the Republican Party, NYT described the vote as "an example of the rift between Trump and Republican lawmakers."
Trump expressed strong optimism about the ceasefire talks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he said, "The negotiations themselves are going very well," and added, "A deal may not be reached, but if it is, it could happen this weekend. In theory, they are quite close to signing the document."
Trump also stressed that he does not view the recent Islamic Republic of Iran attack on Kuwait as a collapse of the ceasefire. "We also inflicted significant military damage, and they responded," he said. On the key issue of highly enriched uranium, he claimed, "We will secure it" and "It has been agreed that we will go in with the Islamic Republic of Iran, secure it, and destroy it." He also said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen as soon as the MOU on ending the war is signed.
A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, brokered by the United States on the same day, is also expected to send a positive signal for the ceasefire talks. The Lebanon front has long been seen as one of the biggest variables in negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter