US lawmakers seek to block Trump from striking Iran without approval

As Israel-Iran tensions escalate, US lawmakers move to bar Trump from launching military action against Tehran without Congress’s approval, aiming to avoid a wider Middle East war.

The development came as the US military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering US military forces in the region. 

One of the officials said the deployments include F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter aircraft.

Earlier, Axios reported that Israel has urged the US over the past two days to join its military campaign against Iran, but the latter is currently not considering such a move.

Israel launched its air war after saying it concluded Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Its surprise attack has killed nearly the entire top echelon of Iran's military and its leading nuclear scientists.

The attacks have also killed more than 220 people in the Islamic Republic. Iran has retaliated with barrages of drones and missiles that have killed more than 20 people in Israel.

Israel claims that it now has control of Iranian airspace and intends to escalate the campaign in the coming days. Iran has so far fired 400 ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones towards Israel, said an Israeli military official.

Trump has consistently said the Israeli assault could end quickly if Iran agreed to US demands that it accept strict curbs on its nuclear programme.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and has pointed to its right to nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Israel, which is not a party to the NPT, is the only country in the Middle East widely believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

Following the confrontation, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle — who have been vocal opponents of US involvement in foreign entanglements in the years following the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, particularly without congressional approval — were making efforts to curb Trump's war powers.

Congressman Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would require Trump to obtain explicit authorisation from Congress before engaging in military action against Iran. 

The bill also directs the president to “terminate” any ongoing attacks not sanctioned by lawmakers, Al Jazeera reported.

A parallel measure was introduced in the Senate by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a longtime advocate for restoring congressional war-making authority. 

Kaine emphasised that under the US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war, asserting that “it is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States.”

Senator Bernie Sanders also voiced concern, accusing Israel of deliberately launching strikes on Iran to sabotage ongoing diplomatic efforts, particularly a nuclear dialogue that had been scheduled before the escalation.

“There can be no offensive use of military force — against Iran or any other country — without an explicit authorisation from Congress,” Sanders said.

Senator Rand Paul cautioned against military entanglement, saying, “It’s not the US’ job to be involved in this war.” Representative Massie echoed the sentiment, posting on X, “This is not our war.”

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar wrote on X: "No one is attacking or has attacked Americans. It’s time to stop dragging Americans into war and letting Israel once again get America involved in their chosen war. Stand up for the Americans who believed you wanted peace and don’t commit another generation of Americans into a costly war."

— With additional input from Reuters