U.S. President Donald Trump’s allies insist he had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate what they called a potential nuclear threat posed by Tehran.Carlos Barria/Reuters
Three Democratic lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a war powers resolution on Monday to check President Donald Trump’s use of military force against Iran after U.S. strikes on Tehran’s nuclear sites over the weekend.
Trump’s Republican Party holds a majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and it is unlikely any resolution restricting Trump’s actions could pass both chambers.
Iran targeted a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation. The Israel-Iran war, which began on June 13 when Israel attacked its regional rival, further raised tensions in a region already on edge since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023.
Mr. Trump on raised the question of regime change in Iran following U.S. strikes against key military sites over the weekend, as senior officials in his administration warned Tehran against retaliation.
Reuters
The joint statement issued late on Monday by Democratic U.S. Representatives Jim Himes, Gregory Meeks and Adam Smith came hours after Trump claimed on social media Israel and Iran had agreed to a ceasefire.
“President Trump must not be allowed to start a war with Iran, or any country, without Congressional approval,” the lawmakers said, adding that Trump ordered the strikes “without meaningful consultation or Congressional authorization.”
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Some Democratic and Republican lawmakers had called on Congress to rein in Trump’s use of military force in Iran and prevent U.S. involvement in the conflict. Many Democratic U.S. lawmakers said Trump’s actions were unconstitutional and that it was Congress that had the power to declare war on foreign countries.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier on Monday it was not the time to consider a war powers resolution.
Trump’s allies insist he had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate what they called a potential nuclear threat posed by Tehran.
The Democratic lawmakers said Trump’s actions appeared broader.
“The president has posted on social media about regime change, undermining any claim that this was a narrowly tailored operation to eliminate a nuclear threat,” the Democratic lawmakers said, referring to a Sunday post in which Trump raised the prospect of overthrowing Iran’s government.
“No thoughtful deliberation nor careful planning occurred here - and serious actions demand serious debate, not presidential impulse,” they added.
Israel is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons and says its war against Iran aims to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is peaceful, is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty while Israel is not.