3 Republican senators join Democrats in bid to advance Iran war powers resolution

Three Republican senators broke with party leadership on Wednesday and voted with Democrats to advance a resolution seeking to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military action against Iran without congressional approval.

Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Rand Paul joined nearly all Senate Democrats in supporting a motion to discharge Senator Jeff Merkley’s war powers resolution from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The motion failed by a narrow 49-50 vote.

Democratic Senator John Fetterman was the only member of his party to vote against advancing the measure, while Republican Senator Pete Ricketts did not vote.

The vote marked the seventh congressional attempt to curb Trump’s war powers amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran.

Regional tensions escalated sharply after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering Iranian retaliation against Israel and US allies in the Gulf as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took effect on April 8, though talks in Islamabad failed to produce a permanent agreement.

US President Donald Trump later announced that the truce would remain in place indefinitely, despite continued military tensions and maritime restrictions in the Gulf region.