US House of Representatives Supports Resolution to Stop War in Iran

Capitol Hill building. (Wikimedia Commons/Architect of the Capitol)

WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday backed a Democratic-led resolution aimed at halting the Iran war until military action is approved by Congress, reflecting growing congressional concerns, even among President Donald Trump's Republican politicians, over the war.

The House of Representatives voted 215 to 208, with four Republican members voting with the Democrats to support the war power resolution, Al Arabiya reported from Reuters (4/6).

It is the latest setback for President Trump in the US Congress, even though his party has a slim majority in both chambers.

The vote is largely symbolic. Any resolution would also have to be passed by the Senate to be effective, and get a two-thirds majority in both chambers to overcome an almost certain veto by President Trump.

However, this happened after three previous war-authorizing resolutions failed in the House of Representatives with increasingly narrow vote margins.

And, the Senate passed a separate, but similar, resolution last month in a procedural vote, after seven previous attempts failed.

It is known that the US and Israel launched an attack on the capital Tehran and a number of other cities on February 28, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a number of senior officials and thousands of civilians.

Iran retaliated by launching attacks on Israeli territory and US-related infrastructure in neighboring countries in the Middle East.

The Mullah's state then tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and gas traffic passes, as well as other vital supplies.

The ceasefire with Pakistani intermediaries agreed on April 8, which was later extended, eased tensions despite still being engaged in mutual attacks, and paved the way for negotiations.