US Senate narrowly rejects resolution to halt hostilities with Iran

The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Thursday, September 24, by a vote of 50 to 49, aimed at stopping hostilities with Iran until Congress had authorized them. The vote effectively dismisses this attempt to limit the executive’s conduct of war.

The official tally showed 49 votes in favor, 50 against, and one senator did not participate in the vote. The outcome largely followed party lines, with Republicans opposing the resolution and nearly all Democrats supporting it, according to Reuters.

The House of Representatives had passed the resolution in July. Its rejection in the Senate ends its progress in Congress.

The vote comes as Washington and Tehran are simultaneously exploring a phased agreement linking the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to the lifting of the U.S. economic blockade. No agreement has yet been reached.