Trump fumes after US Senate votes to curb war powers on Iran: 'Poorly timed and meaningless'

The US Senate on Tuesday approved a war powers resolution seeking to block military action against Iran, delivering a rare bipartisan rebuke to President Donald Trump over a conflict that has divided Republican lawmakers.

The resolution was passed on Tuesday by a 50-48 vote.

Four Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rand Paul of Kentucky — joined Democrats in backing the measure.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only member of his party to vote against it.

While the resolution does not carry the force of law, it marks the first time the Senate has approved such a measure in connection with the conflict and reflects growing concern among lawmakers over the war and the deal Trump struck with Iran to end it.

The vote also came with two Republican senators absent, including former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who was recently admitted to hospital for an undisclosed matter.

Senator Dave McCormick, Republican of Pennsylvania, also missed the vote.

Trump lashed out at the Senate after the vote, saying lawmakers had complicated his efforts to pressure Iran.

In a post on Truth Social, he said the Senate had held a “poorly timed and meaningless War Powers Act Vote” while Iran was “on the ropes,” and accused the four Republicans who backed the measure of making his job “more difficult.”

“These Senators have just made my job more difficult, but I will get it done, one way or the other, because I always get it done!” he said.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the vote was a sign of opposition to Trump’s handling of the war, saying Republicans had sided with the president “and his war instead of the American people”.

Schumer also said Americans had paid the price for what he called Trump’s “historic blunder in Iran”.

The Senate vote comes as the Pentagon is seeking $80 billion from Congress, largely tied to the Iran conflict, to replenish munitions and military stockpiles.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved a similar war powers resolution directing the president to end military hostilities against Iran.

That measure was passed by a 215-208 vote.

There too, four Republicans — Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson — had joined Democrats in support.

The House resolution, introduced by Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks, invokes Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution and directs the president to remove US armed forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorises military action or declares war. It allows military action only in defence of the United States or its allies against an imminent attack.

Trump had campaigned on reducing US involvement in overseas wars and focusing on domestic priorities. However, the conflict with Iran has increasingly dominated his foreign policy agenda and reopened debate in Washington over the limits of presidential war-making powers.

The measure passed by Congress is a concurrent resolution, which means it must be approved by both chambers in identical form but does not go to the president for signature.

According to the Senate website, concurrent resolutions generally do not have the force of law and are often used to express the sentiments of both chambers.