• Calls vote ‘unpatriotic’; says it comes during final talks with Tehran
• Four Republicans join Democrats in rare rebuke
• Iranian oil tankers pass through Hormuz despite blockade
• IAEA calls on Iran to let inspections resume
• Trump says doesn’t need deal to get enriched uranium
• Rising fuel costs strain Pentagon budget
• Pakistan condemns attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump slammed a House vote seeking the withdrawal of American troops from the Iran war, calling it “unpatriotic” and claiming it came “right in the middle” of his final negotiations with Tehran to end the conflict.
The Republican-led House of Representatives approved the war powers resolution by 215 votes to 208 on Wednesday, with four Republicans joining Democrats in a rare bipartisan rebuke of Trump’s handling of the three-month-old war.
The largely symbolic measure directs Trump to withdraw US troops from Iran unless Congress declares war or authorises the use of military force.
The legislation must pass the Senate as well as the House to become effective. It is also expected to face a presidential veto if it reaches Trump’s desk, while overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the vote came “right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran”.
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand,” he said. “(Democrats) would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories.”
He also criticised the four Republicans who voted with Democrats, calling them “GRANDSTANDERS” who “should be ashamed of themselves”.
The four House Republicans who supported the resolution were Representatives Tom Barrett of Michigan, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
No Democrat voted against the measure, while seven House members did not vote.
Senate pressure builds
Following the House vote, senior Democratic leaders urged Senate Republicans to support the move to prevent Trump from continuing the war against Iran without congressional approval.
Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement that the House had “successfully passed a War Powers Resolution” and that it was “now time for Senate Republicans to do the right thing”.
They noted that the Iran war had now lasted more than 90 days, a significant period under US law because the War Powers Resolution requires the president to seek authorisation from Congress if military operations continue beyond that timeframe.
The Senate advanced a similar resolution last month in a procedural vote after seven previous attempts had failed, but further votes on the Senate measure have not yet been scheduled.
Even if the Senate approves the resolution, the measure is expected to face strong opposition from Republican leaders, who argue that such restrictions could interfere with ongoing mili-tary and diplomatic operations.
Democrats have called on Trump to seek congressional authorisation for the Iran conflict, arguing that the US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war.
They warned that Trump may have drawn the country into a long conflict without setting out a clear strategy. They have also criticised higher prices for gasoline, food and other products since the joint US-Israeli air strikes on Iran began on Feb 28.
The Trump administration insists the war on Iran is necessary for US national security, citing an urgent need to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Republican unease
The House vote also reflects growing unease among some Republicans over the war after months in which few party lawmakers publicly challenged Trump’s policy initiatives.
Separately on Wednesday, the House approved a procedural motion clearing the way for a vote on the Ukraine Support Act, which would provide security aid to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion.
The measure reached the floor only after a petition crossed the 218-signature threshold last month. Six Republicans and one independent who normally votes with Republicans supported the Ukraine measure.
Republicans have also recently objected to Trump’s plan to create a “weaponisation” fund to pay political allies who said they had been subjected to government abuse.
Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also criticised Trump’s decision to name loyalist Bill Pulte — a mortgage regulator with no national security experience — as acting director of national intelligence.
Hormuz, oil, nuclear pressure
The political backlash in Washington came as tensions remain high around the Strait of Hormuz, where the war has disrupted shipping and energy flows.
Four Iranian-flagged oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday for the first time since April 15 and the US blockade of Iranian ports, AFP reported, citing maritime tracking firm Kpler.
The vessels — Hilda I, Amber, Silvia 1 and Happiness I — were carrying a total of seven million barrels of oil. They had loaded their cargo in mid-April on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil terminal, through which about 90pc of the country’s crude oil normally transits.
The ships crossed the strait with their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders turned off. Kpler relies primarily on satellite imagery to track ships transporting raw materials.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has sent a report to member states repeating its call for Iran to urgently inform the agency of the fate of its enriched uranium since its atomic sites were bombed a year ago and to allow inspections to resume fully.
“The [IAEA] director general has emphasised to Iran that it is indispensable and urgent to implement effectively the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) Safeguards Agreement … and that its implementation cannot be suspended by Iran under any circumstances,” the confidential report seen by Reuters said.
US President Donald Trump, however, said Washington did not need a deal with Tehran to secure Iran’s enriched uranium.
“We could get it right now. I don’t think they could stop us if we wanted, but there’s no reason to. It’s entombed,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
He also said he did not want to meet Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, but added that if Washington and Tehran reached a deal, such a meeting was possible. “If it happened, I’d be respectful,” he said.
The war is also placing financial pressure on the Pentagon. War Department records cited by Anadolu, based on an ABC News report, showed the average fuel price paid by the US military rose from $154.14 per barrel in October 2025 to $195.72 in April this year, an increase of nearly 27pc in six months.
The figures cover average costs across roughly two dozen fuel types, including gasoline and jet fuel.
Separately, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to the security of Kuwait and other Gulf partners amid heightened regional tensions.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had met Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al Sabah “to affirm the United States’ commitment to the security of Kuwait and all our partners in the Gulf”.
“The United States and Kuwait are united in our vision of regional stability and an open and free Strait of Hormuz,” Rubio said in a post on X.
Pakistan urges restraint
Pakistan condemned recent attacks on Kuwait and Bahrain and urged all parties to exercise “maximum restraint” and avoid further escalation.
Responding to a question during a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesman Tahir Andrabi said the recent escalation was “worrisome”.
“Pakistan condemns this drone and missile attack that targeted the state of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain also,” he said.
Mr Andrabi said Islamabad’s channels of communication remained open and urged “maximum restraint, avoiding further escalation, refraining from any action that undermines the safety and well-being of civilians, protecting civilian infrastructure, and pursuing dialogue and diplomacy”.
“We condemn attack on all sides. These hostilities shrink the space for dialogue and diplomacy. Any armed attack, any hostility, which shrink the dialogue space is indeed condemnable,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iranian counterpart Eskandar Momeni, according to a post by the Ministry of Interior.
Anwar Iqbal in Washington also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026