A resolution intended to curb President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran failed in the US House of Representatives this week, deadlocking on a tied vote of 212 to 212.
Under House rules, a tied vote is not enough to pass a measure, leaving the war powers resolution defeated. It was the third time House Democrats had attempted to use such a resolution to force an end to the strikes.
The outcome was sealed when Representative Jared Golden of Maine, a Democrat, joined almost all Republicans in opposing the measure. Supporters had argued that sustained military action against Iran required explicit congressional authorisation.
The United States, alongside Israel, has been conducting an air war against Iran since late February. The campaign has been accompanied by a naval blockade of Iranian ports and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Opponents of the resolution said constraining the president in the middle of a campaign would undermine US leverage in stalled negotiations with Tehran. Its backers countered that Congress had ceded too much authority over a conflict with far-reaching economic and strategic consequences.