4 House Republicans break ranks as House again urges Trump to withdraw from Iran

WASHINGTON, DC: Four House Republicans joined Democrats on Thursday, July 23, to pass a new war powers resolution directing President Donald Trump to withdraw US military forces from the conflict with Iran.

The 214-208 vote exposed another bipartisan split over Trump's handling of the conflict. It also came as fighting intensified across the Middle East and House Republicans advanced major defense spending tied to the Iran war.

House approves measure to limit Trump's Iran actions

The resolution, introduced by Rep Pramila Jayapal, marked the second time the House has approved legislation seeking to require Trump to end US military involvement in Iran.

All Democrats present voted in favor, along with four Republicans who broke with the president and their party leadership to support the measure, the Guardian reported.

The House last month passed a similar war powers resolution, which was later approved by the Senate in what lawmakers described as a significant bipartisan rebuke of Trump's decision to join Israel in attacking Iran in February, the report said.

Despite the repeated votes, the resolutions are largely symbolic because the Trump administration has argued that such measures are unconstitutional, it added.

Democrat Greg Meeks accuses Trump of defying Congress

During debate before Thursday's vote, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep Greg Meeks, argued that the administration had failed to comply with Congress.

"Let me be clear: this body has already spoken," Meeks said.

"The war powers resolution passed with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. The Trump administration was required to end its hostilities against Iran. It has not," he added.

Meeks also announced plans to introduce legislation that would require House Speaker Mike Johnson to sue Trump to force compliance with the resolutions.

Johnson, a close Trump ally, is unlikely to advance such legislation in the Republican-controlled House.

Vote comes amid new Iran conflict

The latest resolution arrived just one day after House Republicans advanced both a $95 billion budget blueprint that would primarily fund military needs related to the Iran war and a separate $1.15 trillion defense spending bill.

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified across the Middle East in recent days.

According to the report, Iran has launched strikes against US military bases across the region in response to American airstrikes. At the same time, the Houthis in Yemen have threatened to halt Saudi oil shipments through the Red Sea.

The Houthis also announced Thursday that they had attacked two oil tankers, a development that pushed crude oil prices to their highest levels in weeks and added to pressure surrounding the conflict as Congress again pressed Trump to end US military involvement in Iran.