A Democratic senator introduced legislation on Monday that would prevent US President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without congressional approval, at a time when the growing standoff between Israel and Iran is raising fears of a wider conflict.
Tim Kaine, a senator from Virginia, has been trying for years to restore to Congress the constitutional right to declare war, which, according to him, has been usurped by the executive branch.
During Trump's first term, in 2020, Kaine proposed a similar resolution that would limit the president's power to wage war on Iran. The proposal passed both the Senate and the House of Representatives, with support from some Republicans, but it did not have a sufficient majority to override Trump's veto.
Kaine said his latest war powers resolution makes clear that the United States Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the right to declare war, and that any armed conflict with Iran must be specifically authorized through a declaration of war or a special law on the use of military force, Reuters reports.
"It is not in our national security interests to go to war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly drag the United States into another endless conflict," Kaine said in a statement.
Under US law, war powers resolutions have priority, meaning the Senate must consider and vote on them quickly.
The Israeli military launched strikes on Iran last Friday, aiming to eliminate the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, responded with missile strikes on Israel.
Both countries have continued to attack each other, killing and wounding civilians, raising concerns among world leaders gathered in Canada this week that the biggest conflict between the two longtime enemies could escalate into a wider regional war.
Trump praised the Israeli offensive, denied Tehran's accusations that the US was involved in the attack, and warned Iran not to spread retaliation against American targets.
Before leaving for a summit in Canada on Sunday, Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight."
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