US House Moves to Limit Trump’s Iran War Powers as Diplomacy Stalls

The US House of Representatives has approved a resolution aimed at halting American military involvement in Iran, delivering a symbolic political setback to President Donald Trump as diplomatic efforts with Tehran remain deadlocked.

Weeks of complex negotiations, marked by sharp rhetoric and recurring violence, have failed to produce an agreement to end the conflict or reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil shipments.

Washington and Tehran have offered conflicting assessments of the talks. Iran said on Wednesday that there had been "no tangible progress," while Trump expressed optimism, telling reporters at the White House that a breakthrough "could happen... over the weekend."

Meanwhile, tensions escalated again as Kuwaiti authorities reported that an Iranian drone struck a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring 63 others.

Against this backdrop, four Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in supporting the resolution, which passed the House by a 215-208 vote.

The measure is largely symbolic, as it would still require Senate approval and could be vetoed by the president.

"This is a loud and unambiguous message to Donald Trump on behalf of the American people: it's time to end his deeply unpopular and illegal war of choice in Iran," Democrats said in a post on X.

Speaking at a congressional hearing, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium remains a central issue in negotiations.

The United States maintains that any peace agreement must include Iran surrendering its near weapons-grade enriched uranium, limiting its nuclear activities, and ensuring the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said communication channels with Washington remain open but warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut as part of its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah would trigger a "full-scale resumption" of the conflict.

"Communications with the Americans have not been cut off, and messages have been exchanged regarding the need to stop aggression against Beirut, but no tangible progress has been made in the negotiation process," Araghchi told Lebanon's Al Mayadeen TV, according to Tasnim news agency.

"Any attack on Beirut will have grave consequences and will lead to a full-scale resumption of the war," he added. "Our armed forces are ready to strike Israel if it attacks Beirut."

Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement

In Washington, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire following two days of direct talks. The deal includes a commitment by Hezbollah to completely cease hostilities.

The two sides also agreed, with US support, to establish "pilot zones" where the Lebanese armed forces would exercise exclusive control, excluding all non-state actors, according to a joint statement.

Further negotiations are scheduled for the week beginning June 22 in an effort to reach a broader, long-term agreement.

Despite the diplomatic progress, fighting continued on the ground. Hezbollah claimed responsibility for missile attacks on northern Israel on Wednesday, while Lebanese officials said Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least nine people, including two paramedics.

Israeli forces are currently carrying out their deepest ground operation in Lebanon in two decades.

A ceasefire intended to take effect on April 17 has largely failed to hold.

Fresh violence raises concerns

Kuwait's military condemned the drone strike on its airport as an act of "criminal Iranian aggression." India's foreign ministry confirmed that the person killed was an Indian national.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards denied responsibility, claiming the damage resulted from a malfunctioning US Patriot missile system that fell on the terminal after failing to intercept Iranian missiles.

The Guards also accused US forces of provoking retaliation by targeting a tanker and a communications tower on Iran's Qeshm Island.

The latest violence poses one of the most serious challenges yet to the April 8 ceasefire, which ended more than a month of fighting triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and had largely held despite sporadic clashes.

Trump downplayed the renewed hostilities, saying that in the Middle East, "ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, accused Iran of "playing with fire."

"Iran surely knows what the president has said — that if necessary, there will be a full-scale return to military action," Netanyahu told CNBC.

Following the airport attack, Kuwait temporarily suspended air traffic and diverted incoming flights before later resuming operations.

The airport, which has been targeted several times during the conflict, had only fully reopened on Monday.

Hassan Sheikh, a 40-year-old Pakistani resident living near the airport, said explosions could be heard throughout the night.

"For the first time, my children felt how serious the situation was," he said.