U.S. Senate votes to limit Trump’s ability to wage war against Iran

In a rare bipartisan vote and responding to mounting concerns over Trump's measures to escalate tension, the US Senate passed legislation on Thursday to limit Donald Trump’s ability to wage a war against Iran.

Iran PressAmerica: According to the measures which eight of Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans joined Democrats to pass the war powers resolution by 55-45, the President of the US must win approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran.

The measure would require Trump to remove US troops engaged in hostilities against Iran unless Congress declares war or passes a specific authorization for the use of military force.

Earlier, the US House of Representatives passed two pieces of legislation on January 30, seeking to limit Trump’s authority to go to war with Iran.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted on Friday, “Today, with this strong War Powers Resolution, the Senate is joining the House in honoring our responsibility: Keeping the American people safe. Congress and the American people know we cannot afford war.”

After the US President's reckless decision to assassinate the Iranian General, Martyred Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3, many members of Congress, including some Republicans, have been pushing the administration for more information about the assassination.

Trump did not inform Congress about the drone strike until after it took place and then, according to many lawmakers, his administration held back too much information about the reason for the strike and its legal justification.

In a retaliatory move, Iran fired dozens of ballistic missiles at a major US military base in Iraq on January 8; on the same day, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said that such military actions are not enough and the US forces must leave the region.

Trump’s order to assassinate Lt. Gen. Qasem Soleimani at Baghdad airport last month ratcheted up tensions in the region and threatened to pull the US into another bloody war in the Middle East.

Iran initially responded with missile strikes on military bases that house US troops in Iraq, but the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that if the Zionist Regime of Israel and the United States commit any wrongdoing, the Revolutionary Guards will strike them both.

Iraq's parliament approved a plan on January 5 to expel foreign troops, the Americans in particular, from Iraq despite some obstructions.

Also on Friday 24 January, millions of Iraqis staged a demonstration in Baghdad and called for US military forces to leave their country.

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