U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed efforts on Monday by lawmakers to advance a measure to check President Donald Trump's use of military force against Iran, after Tehran said it carried out a missile attack on the Al Udeid U.S. airbase in Qatar.
Asked whether he would allow the House of Representatives to vote on a bipartisan resolution, Johnson told reporters: "I don't think this is an appropriate time for war powers resolution, and I don't think it's necessary."
Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna introduced their resolution days before Trump ordered U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday and have since claimed that the president's actions require congressional authorization.
Iran's military said on Monday that it carried out a missile attack on U.S. forces in Qatar, where explosions were heard across the capital.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine has introduced a similar resolution in the Senate that he said lawmakers could vote on as early as this week.
"Our War Powers Resolution has 57 cosponsors. Whether you like it or not, Congress will be voting on U.S. hostilities in Iran," Massie said in a post on the social media platform X earlier on Monday.
Johnson and other Republicans insist that Trump had the authority to take unilateral action against Iran to eliminate a potential nuclear threat to the United States and other countries.
"The President made an evaluation that the danger was imminent enough to take his authority as commander in chief and make that happen," the speaker said.
Iran launched a missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. The attack came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran. The U.S. confirmed the air base in Qatar was targeted by a missile attack from Iran and said no casualties were reported. Iran said its Monday night missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling its likely desire to deescalate.
The war between Israel and Iran has raised concerns that Iran could try to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil chokepoint. The strait is between Oman and Iran. About 20 million barrels of oil per day, or around 20% of the world’s oil consumption, passed through it last year. Iran boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines as well as missiles that it could use to make the strait impassable, at least for a time. If that happened, analysts expect the U.S. Navy would intervene to keep the strait open.
Iran continues to launch missiles at Israel, as the world braces for possible retaliation against the U.S., which reports suggest could occur by targeting global oil shipments.
According to Iran, the U.S. attack on its Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites expanded the range of legitimate targets for its armed forces. A spokesperson for Iran’s Khatamal-Anbiya central military headquarters, Ebrahim Zolfaqari, issued a stark warning to the U.S. regarding potential retaliation: "Mr Trump, the gambler, you may start this war, but we will be the ones to end it," said Zolfaqari in a recorded video statement.
Iran continues to launch missiles at Israel as the world braces for possible retaliation against the U.S., which reports suspect could occur through targeting global oil shipments. Despite its attack on Iran, the Trump administration has repeatedly stated that it aims to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and not to instigate a war.
However, in a Truth Social post, Trump said, "if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???"
According to experts surveying commercial satellite imagery, the attack has caused severe damage to Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant, possibly destroying it along with its uranium-enriching centrifuges. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said that his country is considering all possible responses, vowing that there will be no return to diplomacy until Iran has retaliated.
Israel struck Tehran's most notorious jail for political prisoners, but also where a number of foreign nationals are held, in a potent demonstration that it was expanding its targets beyond military and nuclear sites to aim squarely at the pillars of Iran's ruling system.
Israeli military warns Iranians it will continue to attack military sites around Tehran over 'the coming days.'
Iran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling Iran's likely desire to de-escalate. Iran made the announcement Monday night in a statement from its Supreme National Security Council after the attack, which Qatar said caused no injuries. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
Iran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling Iran's likely desire to de-escalate. Iran made the announcement Monday night in a statement from its Supreme National Security Council after the attack, which Qatar said caused no injuries. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.
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