The US Senate rejects a proposal to limit US military operations against Iran. The vote ended up being 47 to 53, effectively giving President Donald Trump the political backing to continue the five-day military campaign.

The proposal required that any further military action must receive congressional approval. Republican senators, however, voted unanimously against the proposal, blocking it. The only exception was Republican Senator Rand Paul, who was one of the co-sponsors of the resolution. On the other hand, the Democrat John Fetterman sided with the Republicans and supported the military strikes.

A similar resolution is now going to be debated in the House of Representatives. However, it is expected to end up the same as in the Senate and not pass. The position of the Republicans thus shows once again that Trump continues to maintain a strong influence within his party despite his controversial foreign policy.

Moreover, the situation is reminiscent of last June, when the Senate rejected, by an identical vote, an attempt to rein in Trump following US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Democrats warned before the vote that the United States could be drawn into another long war in the Middle East. Yet, they said, the classified briefings Congress has received in recent days have provided no convincing evidence that the conflict will be brief or limited.

„It is unbelievable to me that some colleagues refuse to learn from the past,“ said Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. According to him, the conflict has already cost the lives of six Americans, the region is descending into chaos and the US economy is feeling the effects.

Republican leaders, on the other hand, downplay fears of a long war. Senator Lindsey Graham, who is one of the most vocal proponents of the operation, argues that military pressure is weakening Iran's ability to carry out missile attacks. However, he admitted that the conflict could bring more casualties.

The US administration has been intensively explaining the objectives of the operation to lawmakers in recent days. The Secretary of State Marco Rubio a ministr obrany Pete Hegseth During the closed-door talks, they stressed that the goal is primarily Iran's missile systems and military capabilities, not regime change in Tehran.

Yet many questions remain unanswered. The government has not yet presented a clear plan for how long the operation will last or how the conflict should end. Moreover, some lawmakers point out that the intensive bombing is rapidly depleting U.S. missile and air defense stocks.

In addition, according to a CNN poll, nearly 60 percent of Americans do not support military action against Iran and a majority of the public fears a long-term war.

Tensions in Congress may be heightened by the administration's expected request for additional funding for operations in the Middle East. Estimates suggest the cost could reach tens of billions of dollars.

gnews.cz - GH