Republican rift deepens as Trump pressures Senate over Iran war rebuke

A bitter dispute over Washington’s war against Iran has exposed growing divisions within the Republican Party, as US President Donald Trump pressured Senate Republicans to reverse course after lawmakers approved a measure challenging his authority over the aggression.

The political fallout from the US-led war against Iran intensified on Capitol Hill after the Senate narrowly approved a war powers resolution requiring Trump to either end US involvement in the war or seek congressional authorization to continue it.

The measure passed with support from several Republicans, exposing cracks within the president’s own party over the handling of the war.

Although Republican leaders later engineered a second vote on Wednesday in an effort to reverse the political damage, the original resolution remains in force and was neither rescinded nor replaced.

Trump reportedly reacted furiously during a closed-door lunch with Republican senators, accusing lawmakers of undermining his position and damaging US leverage in negotiations with Iran.

Earlier in the day, the president abruptly canceled plans to sign a bipartisan housing affordability bill and instead demanded action on his election overhaul proposal, underscoring growing strains between the White House and lawmakers on multiple fronts.

According to multiple accounts, the meeting became particularly heated when Senator Bill Cassidy challenged the administration over what he described as insufficient transparency regarding the war.

Cassidy, who recently lost a primary contest to a Trump-backed challenger, reportedly engaged in a sharp confrontation with the president as tensions spilled into open view.

Hours later, Senate Republican leaders arranged a late-night vote on a similar measure in an apparent effort to placate Trump and demonstrate loyalty to the White House.

The maneuver succeeded in blocking the new proposal by a 50-47-1 vote after Cassidy and Senator Rand Paul altered their positions.

Cassidy switched to opposing the measure following a White House briefing with Vice President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff, saying, “I was going to vote yes, but I had a briefing this evening, and it was complete. I am reassured.”

Paul, who voted “present,” cited Trump's concerns that congressional action could weaken diplomatic efforts, stressing, “I did listen to the president today, and the president feels like it reduces his leverage to find a deal, and I do think it is important that we have peace negotiations.”

US Senate approves resolution challenging Trump's authority to wage war on Iran

The US Senate approves a war powers resolution aimed at preventing Trump from waging military aggression against Iran without congressional authorization.

Despite Republican claims that the Senate had effectively reversed itself, the procedural vote did not erase the chamber’s earlier rebuke of Trump’s Iran policy.

The original resolution approved the previous day remains intact and continues to stand as the first war powers measure adopted by both chambers since the unprovoked war of aggression began on February 28.

As Senator Tim Kaine put it, “That train has left the station.” He further stressed, “My bill is in exactly the same position as it was before they did this vote.”

The episode highlighted both the growing unease among some Republicans over the war against Iran and the extraordinary lengths party leaders were willing to go to shield Trump from political embarrassment.

While the White House celebrated the late-night vote and Trump falsely claimed on social media that the Senate had “changed its vote on Iran,” the reality was that the chamber’s formal rebuke remained untouched.

The dispute also signaled continuing resistance in Congress, where lawmakers are expected to scrutinize the administration’s request for $87.6 billion in extra spending this year for the war and several unrelated programs.

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