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US senator says he wants Congress to OK any military force against Iran
Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is filing a resolution to require that Congress authorise a declaration of war or any specific use of military force against Iran.
“It is not in our national security interest to get into a war with Iran unless that war is absolutely necessary to defend the United States. I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Kaine said.
The resolution would require any hostilities with Iran to be explicitly authorised by a declaration of war or specific authorisation for use of military force but would not prevent the US from defending itself from imminent attack.
Congress passed a similar resolution in 2020 during Trump’s first presidential term.
US aircraft carrier sails towards the Middle East
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz left Southeast Asia after cancelling plans to dock in Vietnam and is headed to the Middle East as Israel and Iran do battle. At 13:45 GMT, the carrier was travelling through the Malacca Strait towards the Indian Ocean, according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site.
An unnamed Vietnamese official confirmed to AFP news agency a planned reception aboard the USS Nimitz on June 20 – as part of the ship’s expected June 19-23 visit to Da Nang, Vietnam – had been cancelled. The official shared a letter from the US embassy announcing the Pentagon cancelled the event because of “an emergent operational requirement”.
The movement of one of the world’s largest warships came on day four of the escalating air war between Israel and Iran, with no end in sight despite international calls for de-escalation.
“The concern is that this war will continue and expand, that Iran might hit US targets, including some of the military installations that the United States has in the region,” said Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC.
“So I would look at the movement of aircraft carriers and other equipment to deter Iran. I don’t think the Iranians are eager to bring the United States into what is already quite a devastating conflict for them.”
Trump says Iran should talk about de-escalating ‘before it’s too late’
Iran wants to talk about de-escalating hostilities with Israel, and should do so immediately “before it’s too late”, President Trump said.
“I’d say Iran is not winning this war … and they should talk immediately before it’s too late,” he told reporters at the start of a meeting with Canada’s PM Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Kananaskis.
Nobody will be winning this war... If the US joins in offensively things are only going to get much worse.
Peace president...
