The U.S. Senate has rejected a bill that aimed to limit former President Donald Trump’s powers regarding the war with Iran. Because the bill failed, Trump can now make decisions about the conflict without needing immediate approval from Congress. The war in the Middle East has been continuing since United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on the 28th. During the first day of attacks, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed. Airstrikes have continued over Tehran, the capital of Iran, with fighter jets flying over the city. Israel said its F-35 Lightning II fighter jet shot down an Iranian Yakovlev Yak-130 aircraft and also destroyed several Iranian weapons storage sites and air-defense systems. In response, Iran launched a drone attack targeting a U.S. naval base in Bahrain, but no casualties were reported. Iran also attacked the Ras Tanura Oil Refinery in Saudi Arabia for the second time. In the five days of fighting, the death toll in Iran has reportedly crossed 1,000, and the conflict has now entered its sixth day, raising fears of a larger regional war. The bill in the U.S. Senate, known as the “War Powers Resolution,” failed with a vote of 47–53, showing strong support from Republican lawmakers for Trump. The bill would have required congressional approval if the war continued for more than 60 days, but its failure gives Trump more freedom to act in the conflict. Meanwhile, a U.S. State Department aircraft has been sent to the Middle East to help evacuate American citizens from the region as tensions continue to rise.
