The American House of Representatives adopted a text on Wednesday ordering the withdrawal of American troops in the war against Iran, a snub for Donald Trump who engaged the United States in this conflict on February 28.
The resolution, however, has a primarily symbolic significance, due to the American president’s right of veto. “Congress orders the President to withdraw the armed forces of the United States from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the text states. But its adoption, with four votes from Republican elected officials, confirms the discontent aroused in the United States by a conflict which has caused energy prices to rise.
Only Congress has the authority to declare war
A similar resolution passed a key procedural step in the Senate at the end of May, and adoption in the upper house could take place as early as this week. If adopted by both houses of Congress after the parliamentary shuttle, Donald Trump would undoubtedly veto the text to prevent the promulgation of the text.
To circumvent this presidential veto, a new vote in both chambers would then have to be organized and a two-thirds majority would be necessary – a virtual impossibility given the current composition of the House and the Senate. Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. With these resolutions, the Democrats wish to reaffirm the authority of the legislative power on this issue in the face of the executive power represented by Donald Trump.
While the law allows the president to initiate hostilities to respond to an imminent threat, it requires that he obtain authorization from Congress within 60 days. However, at the beginning of May, Donald Trump ignored this deadline by arguing that the conflict, which began on February 28 with American and Israeli strikes, was over due to the ongoing ceasefire. The Democrats dispute this argument and counter that American forces are still engaged there to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.
A weakened ceasefire
In a hurry to find a way out, Donald Trump has already hinted several times in recent days at a close agreement, without tangible results, while on the ground new clashes between Iran and the United States in the Gulf are weakening the ceasefire which came into force on April 8.
Our file on the war in Iran
Donald Trump has declared that he wants to “separate” discussions on Lebanon from those on Iran, while Tehran considers that they are one and the same subject. Another sticking point: the fate of uranium enriched by Iran, which the United States and Israel accuse of wanting to acquire atomic weapons, which Tehran refutes.
