PoliticoDonald Trump vetoes bill to curtail his Iran war-making authority
- President recently threatened retaliation after Iranian vessels harassed US ships in Persian Gulf
- War powers resolution now heads back to Senate for vote to override Trump’s veto
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Connor O’Brien on politico.com on May 6, 2020.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed a congressional resolution to block military action against Iran amid a new spike in tensions in the Middle East.
Trump's rejection of legislative efforts to limit his war powers comes just weeks after Iranian vessels harassed US ships in the Persian Gulf and the president threatened retaliation against Iranian ships.
The war powers resolution was passed in March, but was not formally sent to the White House until just this week because Congress has been out of session due to the coronavirus. It was the first Iran-related measure to reach Trump's desk after months of false starts on legislation that would require Congress to sign off on military action against Iran.
In a statement announcing the veto, Trump derided the measure and the Republicans who broke ranks to support it, arguing “Congress should not have passed this resolution.”