‌US Senator calls Iran war ‘disastrous’ as Senate blocks 5th bid to curb Trump’s war powers

A US senator has slammed the war on Iran as "disastrous," as the Senate blocked the fifth attempt by Democratic legislators to curb President Donald Trump's war powers, eight weeks after the United States waged an unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

On Wednesday, ahead of the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer denounced the military aggression, calling it "disastrous" once again. The vote held for a fifth time since the war began in late February aimed to rein in Trump's ability to use further military force against Iran.

The Senate, however, rejected the Democrats' bid once again in a 46–51 vote. Democratic Senator John Fetterman voted with Republicans against the motion, while Republican Senator Rand Paul voted with Democrats in favor.

The resolution, led by Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, would have directed the president to “remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.”

The US, in collaboration with Israel, waged an unprovoked war against Iran on February 28, assassinating then-Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several high-ranking military commanders.

On Wednesday, the US president again threatened to resume attacks, specifically targeting power plants and bridges in Iran, if Tehran did not “accept” his terms for a deal, including “reopening” the strategic Strait of Hormuz and handing over its stockpile of enriched uranium.

Schumer further said ahead of the vote that Democrats would continue to force war powers votes “every week until Republicans see reason and help us end this war,” noting, “They would be doing Donald Trump a favor.”

The US’s all-out war on Iran, which quickly turned into a regional conflict, is a costly and illegal operation that has already consumed tens of billions of dollars and raised concerns about the strain on US weapons stockpiles.

“Every day this disastrous war continues, Donald Trump digs himself deeper and deeper into a hole,” Schumer warned, urging Republicans to break with their party and support the resolution.

“If Trump won’t dig himself out of the hole he’s dug, you Republicans should pull him out by voting for our war powers resolution today,” he added.

Under the US Constitution, the president does not need approval from Congress to conduct “short-term operations” or eliminate immediate threats.

The developments come as an approaching 60-day deadline could change the dynamic.

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, military conflicts that have not been authorized by Congress are capped at 60 days. However, this deadline can be extended to 90 days if the president certifies to Congress in writing that “unavoidable military necessity” related to the safety of US armed forces requires an extension.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said that the Republican conference felt “pretty good” about Washington’s so-called achievements in Iran.

“The president’s still within that allotted time. He can extend it, I think, 30 days unilaterally. But, you know, we’re listening,” Thune said when asked about the 60-day mark and whether Senate Republicans would consider an authorization for use of military force.

This comes as Schumer repeatedly warns about the negative impacts of the war on the US, urging all lawmakers to help curb Trump’s war powers so that the pointless war finally comes to an end.

“Every day, we hear new promises from the Trump administration that victory has been achieved, that peace is at hand, that costs are starting to come down. And every day, we see the opposite. Trump can talk all he wants, but nothing will change until he realizes that this war needs to end,” Schumer further said ahead of the vote.

“And if Donald Trump won’t dig us out of this hole, Congress must step into the breach and exercise its constitutional authority over matters of war and peace,” he stressed.

Since the onset of the imposed and illegal war on Iran, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched over 100 waves of missile and drone operations against key US and Israeli targets in the region.

The retaliatory attacks, carried out as part of Operation True Promise 4, have forced hundreds of US troops out of the region and inflicted billions of dollars in damage to US assets in the Persian Gulf countries.

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