Trump Vetoes ‘Very Insulting’ Measure Limiting His Powers to Attack Iran

Says Constitution recognizes his right to unilaterally launch hostilities on Iran

Passed in the Senate in February and the House in March, the Iran War Powers Resolution appears to have come to an end on Wednesday when it was vetoed by President Trump, who insisted it was “very insulting” and dangerous to limit his ability to attack Iran.

The resolution was a preemptive War Powers Act challenge to a war with Iran, aiming to note that Congress has not in any way authorized a US war against Iran, and ordering them to stop any military actions related to this unauthorized conflict.

Trump has repeatedly argued that the Constitution gives him the absolute right to make decisions on who to attack, saying it was insulting to suggest otherwise, and that it would be dangerous to any way limit the possibility of the US carrying out preemptive attacks.

The War Powers Act gives Congress the power to limit such actions. That said, neither the House nor Senate passed the resolution with anywhere near a veto-proof majority, and that likely means Trump’s veto is the end of this particular legal challenge, for now.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.