The United States Congress has approved a war powers resolution calling on President Donald Trump to end U.S. military involvement in the conflict with Iran unless lawmakers authorize continued operations, marking the first time since the enactment of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that both chambers have backed such a measure.
The Republican led Senate passed the concurrent resolution on Tuesday in a 50 to 48 vote after the House of Representatives approved the same measure earlier this month. Although the action reflects the position of Congress, it does not have the force of law and will not be sent to the president for signature.
Four Republican senators, Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Bill Cassidy, joined Democrats in supporting the resolution. Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted against it, becoming the only member of his party to oppose the measure.
President Trump dismissed the vote as ineffective, arguing it came at a critical stage in U.S. efforts against Iran. Writing on Truth Social, he described the resolution as “poorly timed and meaningless,” saying it complicated his administration’s efforts while insisting he would continue pursuing his objectives.
The vote comes amid growing unease within Congress over the prolonged conflict with Iran, which is approaching its fifth month. Lawmakers have also expressed concern over a peace framework negotiated between Washington and Tehran, while rising fuel prices linked to the conflict have contributed to declining public support.
Although the resolution cannot compel the White House to change policy, its passage increases political pressure on the administration as negotiations continue following a ceasefire agreement reached on April 7.
The White House maintains that the measure has little practical effect because active hostilities have ceased under the truce. Administration officials argue there are currently no combat operations from which U.S. forces must withdraw. They also noted that two Republican senators, Mitch McConnell and Dave McCormick, were absent during the Senate vote.
Under U.S. law, Congress is generally required to authorize military engagements lasting longer than 60 days. American and Israeli military operations against Iran began on February 28, although the Trump administration contends that the April ceasefire effectively restarted the legal timeline governing the deployment.
Federal law also allows the president to extend military operations for an additional 30 days when national security considerations apply.
Tuesday’s vote represented the tenth attempt by Senate Democrats since the conflict began to invoke Congress’s war powers authority. On the same day, the Pentagon requested approximately $80 billion from Congress, with the majority of the funding intended to support operations related to the Iran conflict.
The latest congressional action also highlights divisions within the Republican Party ahead of November’s midterm elections, when control of both chambers of Congress will be contested. In recent months, some Republican lawmakers have broken with the White House on several major issues, including proposals for a $1.8 billion anti weaponisation fund and additional assistance for Ukraine.
The concurrent resolution follows a memorandum of understanding signed last week by the United States and Iran under which both governments agreed to maintain the ceasefire while negotiating a broader agreement aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear programme. The two countries have 60 days to pursue those negotiations as diplomatic efforts continue.
