The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday in favor of legislation directing President Donald Trump to end any U.S. military action against Iran, marking the latest symbolic congressional criticism of the president.
اضافة اعلان
The vote passed by 214 votes to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the War Powers resolution.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal, directs Trump to "stop the use of U.S. armed forces in hostilities" against Iran unless authorized by Congress.
However, the move is largely symbolic, as lawmakers have approved similar resolutions several times in recent months without resulting in an end to the conflict.
The four Republicans who voted in favor were:
Tom Barrett of Michigan
Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Warren Davidson of Ohio
Thomas Massie of Kentucky
Trump-aligned Republicans hold narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate.
The Senate is expected to vote later Thursday on a separate but similar resolution.
The vote comes after Trump announced an escalation of attacks on Iran and after additional U.S. military personnel were killed. On Thursday, Trump threatened "major military punishment" against Iran and its Houthi allies following attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, expanding the conflict in the Middle East to include another major maritime route.
The U.S. military also carried out another round of overnight airstrikes against Iran, prompting Tehran to fire on military sites in neighboring countries, two weeks after the effective collapse of a temporary ceasefire that had been intended to end the war.
Iran has threatened to target infrastructure across the region if the United States carries out attacks on critical facilities inside Iran.
Tehran has also reportedly instructed the Houthis in Yemen to prepare to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea if Iran's electricity network is targeted.
Amid the escalation, the United States reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz following renewed clashes described as the most intense since the ceasefire that took effect between the two sides in April.
Iran warned that the renewed naval blockade on its ports undermines the memorandum of understanding reached with Washington.
The war began on February 28, when Israel and the United States attacked Iran. Tehran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, which before the conflict was the main maritime route for around one-fifth of global energy supplies.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the central points of tension in the conflict. Iran's control over the strategic waterway has given it significant influence, effectively providing Tehran with a powerful pressure tool.
