President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed a vote in the US House seeking to order the withdrawal of American troops from the Iran war, suggesting the “unpatriotic” move disrupted negotiations with Tehran.
The largely symbolic vote came “right in the middle of my final negotiations to end the War with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
“Who would do such an unpatriotic thing. They know where the negotiations stand.”
In a notable rebuke of Trump, four members of his majority Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday in backing the measure, which passed 215-208 and now heads to the Senate.
The measure, which will ultimately face a presidential veto, marked the first time the Republican-controlled House approved a measure seeking to force Trump to wind down military operations against Tehran since the war began three months ago.
Democrats accuse Trump of violating the constitution by launching strikes on Iran alongside Israel in late February without congressional authorisation.
Under the War Powers Act, presidents have 60 days to obtain congressional approval after introducing US forces into hostilities. That deadline passed weeks ago, and Democrats say Trump is now breaking the law.
“(Democrats) would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Israel will continue to strike Lebanon for the time being and won’t be withdrawing from the south, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday, after Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire contingent on Hezbollah halting attacks.
The United States announced Lebanon and Israel had agreed to implement a ceasefire after a meeting in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli officials. But Hezbollah is not a party to the talks, and has yet to comment on the agreement.
The commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Quds Force — which established Hezbollah in 1982 — said “the minimum demand of the resistance” is Israel’s withdrawal to positions it held before the war began and Israeli forces invaded the south.
Israel carried out numerous air strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, security sources said. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported five people killed in air strikes in the town of Sohmor. A drone buzzed over Beirut.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the statement issued in Washington was “a final opportunity to secure a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire”. Lebanon would convey its position to the US once it received responses from the relevant domestic parties, particularly Hezbollah, he said. — Agencies
