The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution for the first time aimed at halting President Donald Trump's war against Iran, with some Republican lawmakers voting in favor. U.S. foreign media outlets described it as a symbolic event reflecting bipartisan concern over a prolonged war. However, Trump boasted that "there is a possibility of a war-ending agreement even within this weekend."
According to Reuters on the 3rd (local time), the House passed the war powers resolution by a vote of 215 to 208. The war powers resolution directs Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. Accordingly, Trump would need congressional approval to resume a full-scale attack on Iran. The House had pushed for a vote three times since March of this year and failed, but this time four Republican lawmakers switched to favor, playing a decisive role in passage.
For the war powers resolution to gain actual legal effect, it must pass the Senate. Nevertheless, the resolution's passage is expected to be a political burden on Trump's prosecution of the war. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the resolution's sponsor, said in a statement after the vote, "Today's passage of the war powers resolution marks an important turning point," emphasizing that "a growing number of Republican lawmakers are listening to the voices of voters who do not want endless war in the Middle East."
Trump, who has flaunted strong control, has recently faced backlash within his party. On this day, the House also processed the "Ukraine support bill vote," which Trump had opposed, with the help of Republican defectors. The Ukraine support bill provides security assistance to Ukraine against Russia's invasion, and was able to reach the floor after 218 signatures were collected last month. Six Republican lawmakers and one independent classified as pro-Republican voted in favor.
When the resolution passed, Trump criticized it via the social network service Truth Social, saying, "Four bad Republican lawmakers and all Democratic lawmakers voted to limit my war powers in the middle of my final negotiations to end the war," adding, "Who would do such an unpatriotic thing? They would rather see America fail than give me yet another of my many victories."
Israel's attack on Lebanon, which had emerged as a last-minute variable in the Iran war-ending negotiations, was briefly halted by a ceasefire agreement. On the 3rd, Israel and Lebanon announced they had agreed to implement a ceasefire after holding negotiations in Washington, D.C. The ceasefire is premised on a complete cessation of attacks by Hezbollah, the pro-Iran armed faction in Lebanon, and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah members. The two sides plan to resume talks on the 22nd of this month with the goal of a comprehensive agreement.
Naim Qassem, leader of the Lebanese armed faction Hezbollah, rejected the agreement. According to the AP, he said, "Our concern and interest are the cessation of attacks, the ceasefire and Israel's withdrawal," adding, "We have never promised any party that we would stop the resistance while acts of occupation continue."
Given that armed clashes continued even after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire in April, the implementation of the ceasefire cannot be guaranteed. Like the first ceasefire agreement, this agreement is also pointed out as having limitations as a "proxy agreement" attended by the Lebanese government rather than Hezbollah. Even on the 3rd, when news of the ceasefire agreement was reported, at least six people were reportedly killed in southern Lebanon by an Israeli drone attack, and a vehicle was attacked south of Beirut. Israel also said it had intercepted a hostile aircraft presumed to have been launched by Hezbollah.
Gulf oil-producing nations accelerated the construction of a pipeline to replace the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Financial Times (FT), Sheikh Khaled Ahmad Al-Sabah, president of international marketing at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), said at an event held in London, U.K., on the 4th, "Kuwait is discussing, together with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a plan to build a pipeline that can connect Gulf region crude oil production sites with the global market."
