ISLAMABAD – As tensions in the Middle East soar due to intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation aimed at preventing former President Donald Trump from launching a unilateral military strike on Iran and not dragging the country into Netanyahu’s war of choice.
In a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sanders said, “Tonight, I introduced legislation to stop Trump from leading us into an illegal war with Iran.” The proposed bill, titled the “No War Against Iran Act”, seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for any military action against Iran unless such action has been explicitly authorised by the United States Congress.
The legislation comes amid growing fears in Washington and beyond that the current military escalation between Israel and Iran could spiral into a broader regional conflict, potentially drawing in the United States.
Sanders, an independent senator from Vermont and a long-time critic of unauthorised U.S. military interventions, issued a stern warning about what he described as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “reckless and illegal attacks.”“Netanyahu’s reckless and illegal attacks violate international law and risk igniting a regional war,” Sanders said. “Congress must make it clear that the United States will not be dragged into Netanyahu’s war of choice.”
He emphasised that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress, not the President, the authority to declare war. “Our Founding Fathers entrusted the power of war and peace exclusively to the people’s elected representatives in Congress,” Sanders said, “and it is imperative that we make clear that the President has no authority to embark on another costly war without explicit authorisation by Congress.”
The bill has received support from several Democratic senators, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. However, political analysts say it faces steep odds in Congress. With Republicans currently holding the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and Trump retaining veto power over any legislation that might cross his desk, the bill’s path to becoming law remains highly uncertain.
Still, the legislation marks a significant political gesture, reflecting growing concerns within the Democratic Party and parts of the U.S. public about being drawn into yet another conflict in the Middle East.Tensions in the region have dramatically escalated in recent days. According to Iranian media reports, more than 224 Iranians have been killed, with over 1,000 injured, most of them civilians, in what Tehran describes as Israeli strikes. On the Israeli side, authorities have confirmed 24 deaths, also mostly civilians, in retaliatory attacks allegedly linked to Iran or its allies.
The rapidly rising civilian death toll has prompted urgent calls for restraint from the international community. On Monday, leaders of the G7 nations issued a joint statement urging all parties to step back from the brink and seek diplomatic solutions. According to AFP, the statement, released by Canada, read: “We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.”
The urgency of the crisis was underscored by U.S. President Donald Trump’s abrupt departure from the G7 summit, cutting his participation short amid reports of high-level military briefings related to the Middle East conflict.As the situation grows increasingly volatile, Senator Sanders’s bill serves as a reminder of the constitutional limits on presidential war powers – and a call for Congress to reassert its authority. Whether it gains legal traction or not, the move signals strong opposition among segments of the U.S. leadership to any unauthorised military escalation with Iran.
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