The United States and Iran continue to work to reach a peace deal and end the war, as a shaky ceasefire remains in place. Amid all that, the US Senate on Wednesday again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop the war in Iran, as Republicans came together unanimously to reject the first such effort since President Donald Trump exceeded a 60-day deadline to get congressional approval to resume fighting.
The New York Times reported that as Republicans backed Trump’s war on Iran, another Republican who had previously opposed such an effort broke with the party line, signaling growing frustration in the GOP about the conflict and Trump’s handling of it.
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Republicans Against Trump’s Iran War?
First-time Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky in supporting Democrats’ push for the measure. The effort failed on a 50-49 vote, with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania again joining Republicans in opposition.
Murkowski became the latest Republican to switch parties in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Susan Collins, who had previously opposed similar resolutions since the war began in late February, changed her vote to join Democrats and Paul in support.
Last month, a similar resolution was narrowly defeated in the House. While the measure has little chance of passage due to Trump’s staunch opposition and ability to veto it, Democrats have said they will continue to bring it up for a vote, forcing Republicans to publicly defend their stance on a war that polls show many Americans oppose, especially with the midterm elections looming.
Hostilities in Iran are over: The White House
While the White House said hostilities with the Islamic Republic were called off on the day the war reached the 60-day mark, Democrats and a small group of Republicans rejected that claim, pointing to recent firefights in the Strait of Hormuz and the continued deployment of at least 50,000 troops to the region.
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Murkowski, who said earlier in the week that the hostilities don’t appear to have ended, said Wednesday after the vote: “We’re in a different place than we were the last time we voted.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterated on Tuesday that even if the US president resumed bombing, he would not seek congressional approval.
Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a Democrat who sponsored Wednesday’s war powers resolution, noted, “Both sides are engaged in an everyday war as defined by international law,” adding, “Is it somewhat lower than a bombing campaign? Yes, I’ll grant you that. But it is war by any definition.”
Most Republicans support the Trump administration over the truce claims
Despite Democrats and a caucus of Republicans questioning the truce, most Republicans have sided with the administration’s argument that the truce with Iran effectively ended hostilities, which Trump notified Congress on March 2, an action that triggered a 60-day deadline for congressional approval to resume military operations.
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said, “The president made that very clear,” adding, “It’s clear that the major fighting has stopped, it’s clear that the American ceasefire has been going on for more than a month.” He also accused Democrats of “obstructing the president.”
No evidence to support Iran’s claim of nuclear attack: Democrats
Democrats noted Wednesday that the White House has not provided any public evidence that the Islamic Republic is ready to launch a nuclear attack on Washington, as the US president, his cabinet officials and GOP allies in Congress have claimed, according to a report. A nuclear attack from Tehran was cited as the reason for launching joint attacks with Israel on Iran.
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, a member of the Armed Services Committee, said there was no threat of “any action by Iran anytime soon” to develop nuclear weapons that would justify a large-scale military operation. Kaine added: “The White House has lied to the American public, and every time they say this war is justified to stop Iran’s nuclear program, they are lying to the American public.”
Uncertainty hangs over US-Iran peace talks
The Senate vote comes amid uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks. While both sides have sent proposals in the past, so far no agreement appears to have been reached. Regardless of how the shaky truce holds since April 8, Trump and several Iranian leaders have again threatened new military strikes if the truce collapses.
The American president has reiterated on several occasions that one of the main points of contention between the two nations is Iran’s nuclear program. Earlier this week, before flying to China, Trump told reporters he was not worried about the economic impact of the war on Americans, adding: “The only thing that matters when I talk about Iran – they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I’m not thinking about the financial situation of the American people. I’m not thinking about anybody. I’m thinking about one thing – we can’t allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Read also | The UAE denies reports of a secret Netanyahu-MBZ meeting during the Iran war in March
Public dissatisfaction with Trump is at an all-time high
In early April, The New York Times reported that public dissatisfaction with Trump had reached an all-time high. Several polls conducted in April showed that about 77 percent of registered voters polled said the US president bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the recent spike in gas prices, an increase prompted by his decision to wage war alongside Israel against Iran.
In addition, Trump is now also witnessing backlash from his Republican allies and supporters. However, it remains to be seen whether the Republican administration will be able to convince Trump to change the course of the conflict.
Key things
- A significant portion of the Republican Party is beginning to question Trump’s war strategy, reflecting a growing divide.
- Public opinion is shifting against the war, especially as it correlates with rising gas prices.
- The ongoing conflict with Iran continues to pose challenges for both political parties as midterm elections approach.
