The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to halt military action against Iran unless he obtains authorization from Congress, according to The Hill.
The resolution passed by a narrow margin of 215 votes to 208.
The vote marks the fourth attempt by lawmakers to curb Trump’s authority regarding potential military action against Iran. The measure will now move to the Senate, which is expected to consider it within the next two and a half weeks.
The Hill says the vote represents a significant development in the political battle over U.S. policy toward Iran.
“This is very important. We are moving closer to having both chambers of Congress declare this war illegal. This is huge. What he has done is becoming increasingly unacceptable,” Representative Jared Huffman told the publication.
However, Reuters notes that even if the resolution is approved by both chambers of Congress, Trump is expected to veto the measure.
In mid-May, the Senate narrowly passed a similar resolution aimed at limiting the president’s ability to launch military operations against Iran without congressional approval.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the authority to declare war rests with Congress.
The War Powers Resolution, adopted by Congress in 1973, requires the president to consult with lawmakers “in every possible instance” before deploying U.S. armed forces into hostilities abroad.
Meanwhile, Trump has said that negotiations between Washington and Tehran are continuing. According to his latest statements, a preliminary agreement under discussion includes cooperation on uranium extraction.
