If adopted by the Senate, Donald Trump would undoubtedly veto it to prevent the text from being enacted.

The US House of Representatives passed a resolution Wednesday ordering the withdrawal of American troops from the war against Iran, a blow to Donald Trump who committed the United States to the conflict on February 28. The resolution—adopted with the votes of four Republican representatives—is, however, primarily symbolic due to the US president's veto power.

"Congress directs the President to withdraw United States armed forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran," the text states.

Democratic members of the Foreign Affairs Committee hailed the vote as "a strong and unequivocal message to Donald Trump from the American people." "It is time to end this illegal and deeply unpopular war," they added.

Trump's veto

A similar resolution passed a key procedural milestone in the Senate at the end of May, and adoption by the upper house could take place as early as this week. If it were to pass both houses of Congress after the legislative process, Donald Trump would undoubtedly veto it to prevent its enactment. To circumvent this presidential veto, a new vote in both houses would then have to be held, requiring a two-thirds majority—a near impossibility given the current composition of the House and Senate.

According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the authority to declare war. With these resolutions, the Democrats aim to reaffirm the authority of the legislative branch on this issue in the face of the executive branch, represented by Donald Trump. While the law allows the president to initiate hostilities in response to an imminent threat, it requires him to obtain congressional authorization within 60 days.

However, in early May, Donald Trump disregarded this deadline, arguing that the conflict, which began on February 28 with American and Israeli strikes, was over due to the ongoing ceasefire. Democrats dispute this argument, countering that American forces are still deployed to enforce a blockade of Iranian ports.