• Measure introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine, Republican Rand Paul.
• Democrats argue Trump bypassed Congress when he ordered air campaign. 
• Resolution would’ve required Congress nod for continued US involvement.

WASHINGTON: The US Senate on Wednesday rejected a resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump’s authority to continue military strikes on Iran, in a narrow congressional show of support for a conflict launched without explicit approval from lawmakers.

The bipartisan measure, introduced by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Rand Paul, would have required the withdrawal of US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress authorises the campaign.

But with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the upper chamber of Congress and largely backing the president’s decision to attack Iran alongside Israel, the resolution fell short by exactly that margin.

The vote came five days into a rapidly expanding conflict that has already killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior figures in Tehran, while US troops have died in an Iranian attack on a US base in Kuwait.

Democrats argue Trump unconstitutionally bypassed Congress when he ordered the air campaign and say the administration has offered shifting justifications for the war.

“Let me say it this way, there was no presentation of any evidence in that room… that suggested that the US faced any imminent threat from Iran,” Kaine told AFP after a classified briefing from administration officials.

Republicans have largely rallied behind their leader, though some have signalled their support could wane if the war expands or drags on.

“Roadside bombs coming out of Iran have maimed and killed hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans,” Lindsey Graham, one of Trump’s top loyalists in the Senate and a longtime advocate of confronting Iran, posted on X.

“They mean it when they say ‘death to America.’ I’m glad we didn’t let it go further. I’m glad we didn’t let them build more missiles.”

‘Knocked out’

For the resolution to pass, Democrats would have needed at least four Republicans to join Paul. One Democrat, Pennsylvania centrist John Fetterman, opposed the resolution.

Even if the measure had cleared the Senate and the House — where a vote on a similar resolution is expected Thursday — Trump would have been able to veto it. Congress would have needed an almost certainly unattainable two-thirds majority in both chambers to override the president.

Governments around the world have scrambled to evacuate citizens stranded by the war in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israeli strikes that killed Khamenei and prompted retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the Gulf.

Cities such as Dubai and Riyadh — long seen as insulated from the region’s turmoil — have been drawn into the crisis as the conflict spreads across the region.

The debate in Congress over Trump’s authority to wage war reflects broader unease on Capitol Hill about the scope and duration of the military campaign.

Administration officials told lawmakers in classified briefings this week that the operation could last weeks and may require additional funding from Congress. Lawmakers from both parties say the Pentagon could soon seek emergency funds to replenish weapons stockpiles and sustain the operation.

The war powers resolution invoked the 1973 War Powers Act, passed after the Vietnam War, which allows Congress to force votes on military engagements and limits unauthorized conflicts to 60 days.

Democrats had acknowledged the measure faced steep odds but said forcing lawmakers to take a public position on the war was essential.

Bobby Cannavale’s son Jake has given fans an update on the bearded dragon that recently made his father the talk of awards season, and it sounds like Benny Blue has settled in just fine.

Jake Cannavale, 30, spoke to E! News at the premiere of his new series Scarpetta on 3rd March, confirming that he and the family’s new reptile have formed quite the bond. 

“Oh dude, me and Benny are tight,” he said. “Benny Blue the Bearded Dragon. I love that guy.”

Benny became an unlikely celebrity earlier this year after Bobby skipped the Golden Globes to go and collect him, a decision that sparked considerable amusement online. 

Jake reflected on how the arrival of the bearded dragon has revealed a softer side of his father, particularly when it comes to animals. 

“It’s funny because you know my dad hated pets growing up,” he said. “And now he’s being a dad again, and everything sort of has changed and he loves animals now. It’s hilarious.” 

Bobby shares sons Rocco, 10, and Rafael, 8, with his partner Rose Byrne.

Jake’s involvement with the household has increased to actual babysitting duties, for the lizard, at least. 

While Bobby took the boys to Disney, Jake stayed at the house for a few days to look after Benny, getting a crash course in bearded dragon care along the way. 

“You have to dip the crickets in calcium powder and cover them in vitamins so that the bearded dragon will get its vitamins from the crickets,” he explained. 

Despite the insect-handling, he described the whole experience as surprisingly therapeutic. 

“It’s a very cathartic experience. Because he doesn’t really know what’s going on. And sometimes I think, ‘Wow that must be so nice, you’re just a lizard, in the desert. You don’t even know you’re in a cage right now.'”

The United States (U.S.) has opened another military front in Ecuador amid the ongoing Iran war.

According to the U.S. military’s Southern Command, the U.S. and Ecuadorian forces launched joint military operations against “designated terrorist organisations.”

The military did not provide further details; however, it hinted that the operations were part of President Donald Trump’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking in South America.

The Commander of the U.S. Southern Command praised the Ecuadorian residents for their support and unwavering commitment.

Marine General Francis L. Donovan said, “The men and women of Ecuadorian armed forces have demonstrated remarkable courage and resolve through continued actions against narco-terrorists in their country.”

Since returning to the Oval Office for his second term, President Trump has intensified campaign against what the U.S. administration describes as drug trafficking.

The U.S. has carried out around 45 strikes on suspected smuggling vessels killing around 150 people in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.

Ecuador has been in a state of emergency regarding narco-terrorism since 2024 after gangs stormed a TV station during a live broadcast and took the staff hostage.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa sought help from the U.S. against drug-trafficking gangs. 

On a visit to the South American country in September last year, the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to “blow up” gangs if needed and reaffirmed U.S. support in Ecuadorian government’s campaign against narco-terrorists.