The U.S. House of Representatives has narrowly voted to block an effort to rein in Donald Trump’s authority to conduct military operations against Iran.
In a razor-thin vote of 214 to 213 on Thursday (16 April), lawmakers rejected a Democratic-led war powers resolution that would have required the president to halt military action unless Congress formally authorised it.
The outcome came just a day after a similar proposal failed in the Senate, dealing another blow to Democrats seeking a greater say over U.S. involvement in the Middle East.
The measure, brought under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, aimed to reassert Congress’s constitutional role in declaring war. Democrats argue that the U.S. Constitution is clear: only Congress has the authority to take the country into war.
Yet, as has often been the case across modern presidencies, the White House and most Republicans insist that the commander-in-chief retains the power to order limited military action, particularly when national security is at stake.
They maintain that Trump’s actions - part of a campaign launched alongside Israel on 28 February - are lawful and necessary to protect U.S. interests.
The vote largely followed party lines. Almost every Republican opposed the resolution, with just one breaking ranks and another abstaining. One Democrat voted against it.
Despite some unease within Republican ranks over the cost and trajectory of the conflict, party support for the president has held firm more than six weeks into the fighting.
Still, anxiety is growing on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers from both sides are increasingly wary of the war’s mounting financial burden, its uncertain objectives and the possibility of a wider regional escalation.
Speaking ahead of the vote, senior Democrat Gregory Meeks struck a stark tone: “We are standing at the edge of a cliff, and Congress must act before this president pushes us off. Every day we delay, we inch closer to a conflict with no exit ramp.”
Questions over the cost of the war have only added to concerns. At recent hearings, White House budget director Russ Vought declined to provide a clear estimate, and did not confirm suggestions from Senator Jeff Merkley that the price tag may already have reached $50 billion.
Although the resolution failed, Democrats say the effort is far from futile. Forcing votes, they argue, puts lawmakers on record and keeps pressure on the administration.
With Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate pledging to bring the issue back again, the battle over who controls America’s war powers looks set to continue – even as the conflict itself shows no clear sign of ending.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that there is a good chance” of reaching a deal with Iran, but warned that Washington would resume military operation if negotiations fail.
The Russia-Ukraine war is increasingly reshaping the Caspian region. From threats to energy infrastructure to renewed diplomatic efforts, countries across the region are adapting to the wider consequences of a conflict that continues to disrupt trade, transport and security.
Yemen warned the Houthis were seeking to replicate Iran's Strait of Hormuz strategy in the Red Sea, as U.S. President Donald Trump said there was a "good chance" of a deal with Tehran but warned strikes could resume if talks failed.
Moscow should stop linking Russia-Armenia relations to Azerbaijan, Baku's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada has said, after Russia again raised the Collective Security Treaty Organisation's role during the former Garabagh conflict.
The 27 July edition of Daybreak covers a pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran, the latest developments in Russia's war against Ukraine, and mass evacuations as wildfires continue to spread across France and Spain.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday (28 July). While the White House described the talks as positive, Trump acknowledged ahead of the meeting that the two leaders had "a little difference" over Iran.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he held a productive meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, with talks focusing on air defence cooperation and efforts to advance diplomatic negotiations.
The diplomatic dispute over France's overseas territories is widening, with pro-independence leaders in the Caribbean and the Pacific rejecting claims by French lawmakers that Azerbaijan is interfering in France's internal affairs.
U.S. diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine after accusing France of making "disingenuous grandstanding" by comparing Washington with North Korea, Russia and other authoritarian states.
Meteorologists in China have used a swarm of drones to observe Typhoon Noul as it passed through Guangdong province, aiming to improve weather monitoring and forecasting during extreme storms.
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