US President Donald Trump on Thursday criticised what he called an “unpatriotic” vote by the US House of Representatives to end US military action against Iran.
On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution seeking to remove the US Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran.
The lower chamber passed the resolution by a vote of 215-208, after four Republicans sided with Democrats in a rare rebuke of Trump.
Yesterday, in a meaningless vote, the House voted, 4 bad Republicans and all of the Dumocrats, to limit my War Powers, right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand. The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome. They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories,” Trump added.
“The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story – They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves.”
Democrats have repeatedly pushed votes in both the House and the Senate to limit Trump’s war powers, with the effort gradually gaining more Republican backing in recent weeks.
Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!
The vote now sends the measure to the Senate for consideration. However, even if it passes both chambers, whether Congress can compel a president to withdraw forces under the 1973 War Powers Resolution remains legally contested.
Under the US Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war. Trump administration officials have wavered on whether the conflict in question – currently in a ceasefire, with occasional hostilities – is officially a war or not.
According to the War Powers Resolution, the president is barred from keeping US troops in active hostilities for more than 60 days without congressional approval.
The start of the ceasefire on April 8, the administration argued, paused the clock on its 60-day obligation, though Trump critics disagreed.
Iran remains defiant
On Thursday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Iranians “to preserve national unity” and “reject divisions” in order to thwart what he described as “enemy attempts” to destabilise the country.
In a message marking the 37th anniversary of the death of former Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei stressed the importance of maintaining cohesion among the public and government officials, according to the Iranian state news site Mehr News Agency.
“The enemy is waging a hybrid war against the country comprising both military and psychological warfare,” he said, without explicitly mentioning the US and Israel.
“The enemy has been defeated militarily and is now trying to reverse course by sowing differences and division among the Iranian nation to achieve its sinister goals,” he said.
Khamenei stressed that preserving unity among the Iranian people and state institutions was essential “to thwart the enemy’s plots.”
This week, the US and Iran exchanged some of their most intense hostilities since their ceasefire took effect in early April. Iran launched missiles and drones targeting US military installations across the region as well as Kuwait International Airport, resulting in one fatality.
Regional tensions have escalated since late February after the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing more than 3,000 people. Tehran, in retaliation, has targeted Israel and Gulf countries that host US bases and closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global shipping.
A Pakistan-brokered ceasefire took effect on April 8, and efforts to reach a broader agreement have continued since then.
Trump has repeatedly said that he is very close to signing an end-of-war agreement that reopens the Strait of Hormuz, dismantles Iran’s nuclear work and eliminates the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
