"Not Our War": Bipartisan US lawmakers support resolution to prevent interference in Iran

As US President Donald Trump publicly threatens Iran with joining Israel in its ongoing bombing of Tehran and other parts of the Islamic Republic, an unlikely coalition of lawmakers has moved to prevent the president from committing US forces to the conflict without congressional approval.

On Tuesday, Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, whose liberal politics have often put him at odds with Trump, joined a number of progressive Democrats to introduce a war powers bill in the House of Representatives, which would require a congressional vote before Trump could attack Iran. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has also introduced a similar bill in the Senate.

"This isn't our war. But if it were, Congress should decide such matters according to our Constitution," Massie wrote on Twitter when announcing the resolution. Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez responded by approving the tweet, while Massie's office later announced that others, including Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, would also sponsor the resolution.

The announcements came hours after Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early to return to Washington, D.C., and demand Iran's "unconditional surrender" days after Israeli airstrikes targeted its top military leaders and nuclear facilities.

The White House later denied media reports that the United States had decided to intervene in the conflict, with White House spokesman Alex Pfeiffer saying, "American forces maintain their defensive posture, and that has not changed. We will defend American interests." However, American aircraft and warships have moved to the Middle East, and it is believed that Iran's deepest nuclear facilities could only be penetrated with a bunker-buster bomb that only the United States possesses. Trump focused his campaign on keeping the United States out of foreign wars, and last weekend, Vice President J.D. Vance addressed U.S. troops at a military parade in Washington, D.C., saying, "We will never ask you to go to war unless you have to."

Trump vetoed two war powers resolutions during his first term, regarding Iran and Yemen, and called for a primary challenge against Massie for opposing his priorities.

Such resolutions are considered privileged, meaning they must be put to a vote, although House Republican leaders have recently taken unconventional steps to undermine efforts targeting issues like tariffs.

In a press interview, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA), who co-sponsored the resolution with Massie, warned that if they did so, they would "anger their Republican base," citing anti-war statements by Trump and the vice president.

"This is an opportunity for Democrats to reclaim their position as the anti-war party," Khanna added. "Our leadership must be vocal about this and strongly condemn Trump, while keeping his promise to oppose the war."

He expected the resolution to pass "if it is presented to the House of Representatives," where the Republican Party holds only three seats more than the Democrats as a majority. However, it is unclear whether it will gain sufficient support from all parties.

“While I oppose American involvement in foreign wars and regime change, I don’t see the need to sign Rep. Massie’s War Powers Resolution yet, because we are not attacking Iran,” said Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia who has opposed U.S. involvement in Israel’s air campaign against Iran. “I have confidence that President Trump will fulfill his campaign promises and transform this dangerous conflict between Israel and Iran into peace without war. If the situation changes, I may sign it. We’ll see what happens.”

It's worth noting that President Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday evening, after meeting with his national security team, regarding the escalating war between Israel and Iran. According to US media reports, Trump is seriously considering joining the war and launching a US strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, particularly the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow.

Trump had boasted on Tuesday, saying, "We have complete control of the Iranian skies."

Trump added in another tweet, "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but he is safe in his place, and we will not target (kill him!) him, at least not for now. But we do not tolerate missiles being fired at civilians or American soldiers. Our patience is running out. Thank you for your attention to this matter."

Trump concluded his series of posts with a short tweet in which he wrote: "Unconditional Surrender!" This appeared to be an escalatory tone, indicating the possibility of broader American involvement in the ongoing confrontation between Tel Aviv and Tehran.