‘Unpatriotic’: Trump decries Republicans who voted to constrain Iran war

Trump takes aim at lawmakers after the US House passes war powers resolution, while advocates call on the Senate to advance the measure.

United States President Donald Trump has condemned lawmakers, including members of his Republican Party, for voting in favour of a resolution to rein in his ability to wage war with Iran.

The statement on Thursday came a day after the US House of Representatives passed a so-called war powers resolution, which aims to limit Trump’s war-making authority without further congressional approval.

The resolution, which had previously failed three times in the chamber, passed by a vote of 215 to 208, with four Republicans joining Democrats to push the measure over the majority threshold.

On his online platform Truth Social, Trump decried the lawmakers for passing the resolution “right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

Efforts to reach a lasting ceasefire agreement with Iran have progressed in fits and starts, with the Trump administration repeatedly alternating between military threats and promises that a diplomatic breakthrough is within reach.

The most recent flurry of negotiations has stalled, with both sides exchanging limited strikes. Trump on Wednesday again said a deal could come by this weekend.

Key sticking points include the future of Iran’s nuclear programme and control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway.

The Trump administration has reportedly found itself hard-pressed to end Iran’s chokehold on the strait, and it is angling to reach a nuclear deal that appears stronger than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a previous agreement to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.

Trump unilaterally withdrew the JCPOA in 2018, calling it “foolish” and “defective”.

In Thursday’s post, Trump took particular aim at the four Republicans who voted in favour of the resolution, including its longtime supporter, Kentucky’s Thomas Massie, as well as Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

The vote has widely been seen as a reflection of Trump’s weakening grip on some Republican lawmakers before the midterm election in November.

“The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story – They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves,” Trump wrote.

He further dismissed Wednesday’s resolution as “meaningless”.

To be sure, the vote remains largely symbolic. The resolution would need to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Republicans control 53 of 100 seats, before it could be signed in