US house urges Trump to end military operations against Iran

The US House of Representatives has approved for a second time a war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to withdraw American forces from the conflict with Iran, as renewed fighting across the Middle East continues to fuel tensions and push oil prices to their highest levels in recent weeks.

The measure, introduced by Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal, passed in a 214-208 vote on Thursday, with four Republicans joining all Democrats present in supporting the resolution, Caliber.Az reports, citing The Guardian.

The latest vote follows the House's approval of a similar resolution last month, which was later backed by the Senate in a bipartisan rebuke of Trump's decision to join Israel's military campaign against Iran in February.

Although the resolutions have been approved by Congress, they are largely symbolic, with the Trump administration maintaining that such measures are unconstitutional.

During debate ahead of the vote, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Greg Meeks, argued that the administration had failed to comply with the law.

“Let me be clear: this body has already spoken. The war powers resolution passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. The Trump administration was required to end its hostilities against Iran. It has not,” Meeks said.

Meeks also noted that he intends to introduce legislation requiring House Speaker Mike Johnson to file suit against Trump in an effort to enforce compliance with the resolutions. However, Johnson, a close ally of the president, is not expected to support such a move, making its passage in the current Congress highly unlikely.

The House vote came one day after Republicans advanced a $95 billion budget framework, largely aimed at funding military operations related to the conflict with Iran, alongside a $1.15 trillion defense spending bill.

Meanwhile, hostilities across the Middle East have intensified. Iran has launched strikes against US military bases in the region in response to American airstrikes, while the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has threatened to disrupt Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea. On Thursday, the group announced attacks on two oil tankers, contributing to a sharp rise in crude oil prices.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov