US Congress rejects resolution to halt military actions against Iran

The US House of Representatives has rejected a resolution that would have required the American administration to cease military actions against Iran. According to the voting results, the decision was made by the narrowest possible margin — a single vote.

A total of 213 lawmakers voted in favour of the measure, while 214 voted against it. One legislator — Representative Warren Davidson (Republican of Ohio) — abstained. A similar resolution had been rejected in the Senate the day before.

Under the US Constitution, the authority to declare war is vested in Congress, not the president. Nevertheless, in recent decades, American leaders have broadly interpreted the authorisations granted by lawmakers to use military force abroad, including to launch essentially new operations. Against this backdrop, several members of Congress in recent months had introduced resolutions requiring US President Donald Trump to use military force against Iran only with the approval of the legislative branch. However, none of these measures has been adopted.