Saturday, May 23, 2026
In a striking display of congressional resistance, Republican House leaders on Thursday pulled a planned vote on a Democratic-sponsored war powers resolution directed at the Trump administration’s ongoing military campaign against Iran, after it became clear they would not have sufficient Republican votes to defeat the measure. The move amounted to an embarrassing retreat for the White House and a signal that cracks in the GOP’s unified support for the Iran war are deepening.
The resolution, which passed the Senate with at least one Republican — Senator Cassidy, who recently lost a primary election — crossing the aisle, would compel President Trump to withdraw from military operations against Iran unless Congress formally authorises the conflict. The constitutional basis of the war has been challenged since it began on February 28, when the US launched airstrikes on Iran without a prior authorisation for use of military force from Congress. The Trump administration has argued existing authorities cover the operation; critics say it is a blatant violation of the War Powers Resolution.
The administration is also facing a separate headache on Capitol Hill over a proposed $1.8 billion payout fund that Senate Republicans have pushed back against, delaying a vote on funding for immigration enforcement. Together, these legislative standoffs point to a White House that is losing its grip on Capitol Hill even as it prosecutes an active overseas military campaign.
Iran has sought to use this congressional fracture diplomatically, signalling its willingness to negotiate while pointing to American domestic dissent as evidence that the war lacks a legitimate mandate. Pakistan’s diplomatic intervention in Tehran this morning coincides with this fragile window of political uncertainty in Washington, and diplomats suggest Munir may be trying to get a framework in place before the congressional pressure either forces a US exit or hardens Trump’s position through domestic backlash.
