U.S. House Approves Measures to Limit Trump’s Authority Over Iran Conflict

The United States House of Representatives approved a resolution that calls for an end to American military operations in Iran. The vote is seen as a political setback for President Donald Trump, whose attempts to negotiate a deal with Tehran have stalled.

Negotiations have been marked by intense rhetoric and sporadic violence, but no agreement has been reached to end the conflict or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil shipments.

In recent days, Washington and Tehran have issued conflicting statements. Iran reported that “no tangible progress” had been made, while Trump expressed optimism, telling reporters at the White House that a deal “could happen… over the weekend.”

On Wednesday, Kuwaiti officials reported renewed hostilities, including an Iranian drone strike on a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport that killed one person and wounded 63.

Four Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to vote 215–208 in favor of the resolution, which is largely symbolic because the president can veto it if it passes the Senate.

“This is a loud and unambiguous message to Donald Trump on behalf of the American people: it’s time to end his deeply unpopular and illegal war of choice in Iran,” Democrats posted on X.

During a congressional hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Iran’s stockpiles of highly enriched uranium were central to discussions with Tehran.

Washington maintains that Tehran must surrender its near‑weapons‑grade enriched uranium, limit its nuclear activities, and reopen the Strait of Hormuz for any peace agreement to be viable.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that lines of communication with the United States remain open but warned that an Israeli attack on Beirut, part of Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, would trigger a “full‑scale resumption” of the conflict.

“Communications with the Americans have not been cut off, and messages have been exchanged regarding the need to stop aggression against Beirut, but no tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process,” Araghchi told Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen TV, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full‑scale resumption of the war,” he added. “Our armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut.”

– Israel, Lebanon agree ceasefire –

In Washington, Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire after two days of direct talks. The agreement requires a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah.

The parties also agreed, with U.S. guidance, to create “pilot zones” in which Lebanese armed forces will take exclusive control of the territory, excluding all non‑state actors, a joint statement said.

Further talks are scheduled for the week of June 22, aimed at a “comprehensive agreement.”

Despite the ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange fire. Hezbollah claimed missile attacks on northern Israel on Wednesday, and Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes in the south killed at least nine people, including two paramedics.

Israeli troops are conducting their deepest ground offensive into Lebanon in two decades.

A truce intended to take effect on April 17 has never been observed.

– ‘Playing with fire’ –

Kuwait’s military condemned the drone strike on its airport as “criminal Iranian aggression.” India’s foreign ministry said the fatality was an Indian national.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards denied responsibility for the attack, attributing it to an “error in the American Patriot systems, which landed on the terminal after failing to intercept Iranian missiles.”

The Guards also accused U.S. forces of provoking a response by targeting a tanker and a communications tower on Qeshm Island.

These attacks represent a significant test of the April 8 ceasefire that paused more than a month of war sparked by the U.S.–Israeli bombing of Iran, and the ceasefire has largely held despite sporadic exchanges of fire.

Trump downplayed the renewed hostilities, saying, “In that part of the world ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of “playing with fire.”

“Iran surely knows what the U.S. president has said, that if necessary, there’ll be a full‑scale return to military action,” Netanyahu said in an interview with U.S. channel CNBC.

Kuwait suspended air traffic and diverted arriving planes to other destinations following the drone attack, but later resumed Kuwait Airways flights.

The international airport had been targeted several times during the war and had only fully resumed operations on Monday.

Hassan Sheikh, a 40‑year‑old Pakistani resident of Kuwait who lives near the airport, said he heard explosions throughout the night, adding: “For the first time, my children felt how serious the situation was.”

AFP

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