US Senate passes War Powers Resolution rebuking Trump’s Iran war

Support Asia Times Keep independent journalism alive Support us People attend a protest against US-Israeli attacks on Iran in New York on February 28, 2026. Photo: Zhang Fengguo / Xinhua In a “major bipartisan rebuke” of President Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran, the US Senate on Tuesday passed a war powers resolution instructing Trump to withdraw US forces from Iran. The vote was 50 to 48, with four Republicans joining the vast majority of Democrats to approve the resolution that was passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this month.

“The House and the Senate have both stood up,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) wrote in celebration of the vote on social media.

“It’s time to stop this deadly and costly conflict.” Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.)

, Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Bill Cassidy (La.) voted in favor of the resolution while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.)

voted against it. “The vote was 50-48, with four Republicans joining Democrats to say Trump should not be able to keep dragging America deeper into military conflict,” attorney Aaron Parnas wrote on social media. “This is a major bipartisan rebuke of Trump’s foreign policy chaos.”

Anti-war group CodePink wrote, “The will of the people is undeniable: It’s time to permanently end this war of aggression.” BREAKING: US Senate passes Iran War Powers Resolution by a vote of 50-48.The resolution demands the removal of US forces from all hostilities against Iran.

It's already passed the House.The will of the people is undeniable: it's time to permanently end this war of aggression. pic.

twitter.com/27rxceRu81— CODEPINK (@codepink) June 23, 2026 The vote was a long time coming, as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer noted it was Democrats’ 10th attempt to limit Trump’s ability to wage undeclared war since he unilaterally embroiled the US in a joint attack on Iran with Israel, beginning on February 28. Schumer criticized the majority of Republicans for repeatedly failing to vote against the war, which he said would “go down in the history books as one of the worst foreign policy forays America has ever made,” according to The Associated Press.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) wrote on social media: “Congress finally passed a war powers resolution to stop Trump’s illegal war in Iran.

It has been a disaster from the start. End it now.” The vote made history by being the first time both the House and Senate have passed a concurrent resolution calling for an end to a conflict since the War Powers Resolution of 1973, as The New York Times reported.

Concurrent resolutions do not require a presidential signature and therefore do not typically have the force of law. However, Democratic lawmakers and foreign policy experts argue that because Congress has the ability to declare war under the Constitution, the resolution should still restrict the president’s actions. Rep.

Gregory Meeks (D-NY), who sponsored the House resolution, wrote: “With the Senate passage of my Iran War Powers Resolution, both chambers have now made clear that the president cannot continue this war of choice and must cease all hostilities against Iran. Regardless of what President Trump says, this measure is binding under the War Powers Resolution, and I will explore all legal avenues to ensure the executive complies with the will of Congress. Congress never authorized this failed war, and the president certainly has no authority to continue it indefinitely without our consent as the Constitution demands.”

The vote comes about a week after the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to move toward ending the war that has killed at least 3,400 in Iran and thousands more across the region. However, the subsequent ceasefire and negotiations have been rocky and uncertain due to continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and threats from Trump. – Common Dreams Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Print (Opens in new window) Print Leave a comment Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.

People attend a protest against US-Israeli attacks on Iran in New York on February 28, 2026. Photo: Zhang Fengguo / Xinhua In a “major bipartisan rebuke” of President Donald Trump’s illegal war on Iran, the US Senate on Tuesday passed a war powers resolution instructing Trump to withdraw US forces from Iran. The vote was 50 to 48, with four Republicans joining the vast majority of Democrats to approve the resolution that was passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this month.

“The House and the Senate have both stood up,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) wrote in celebration of the vote on social media.

“It’s time to stop this deadly and costly conflict.” Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.)

, Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkows