The United States Senate has advanced a War Powers Resolution that could prevent President Donald Trump from using military force against Iran without congressional authorisation amid widening fallout from the conflict.

The vote on a procedural measure to advance the resolution was passed on Tuesday by a margin of 50 to 47, with a handful of Republicans joining Democratic colleagues to pass the measure in a rare rebuke of the president.

The vote showed that a small but growing number of Republicans are increasingly uneasy with a war that shows no signs of ending, amid a fragile ceasefire, and are willing to challenge the president.

“This president is like a toddler playing with a loaded gun,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.

“If there was ever a time to support our war powers resolution to withdraw troops from hostilities with Iran, it’s now,” he said.

The result was also a victory for lawmakers who have been arguing that Congress, ⁠not the president, should have the power to send troops to war, as spelled out in the US Constitution.

However, it was only a procedural vote, and the resolution faces steep hurdles if it is ever to go into effect. Three Republicans were absent during the vote on Tuesday, and their votes would be enough to defeat the measure if they maintain their stance in favour of the war.

But even if the resolution is eventually passed by a vote of the 100-member Senate, it must also pass the Republican-led House of Representatives and garner two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate to survive an expected Trump veto.

Trump’s Republicans have blocked seven previous attempts to advance similar resolutions in the Senate this year. They have also stopped three war powers resolutions by narrow votes in the House this year.

Yet, the vote on Tuesday underscores growing pressure on the president, as the war on Iran, launched by the US and Israel in late February, continues to wreak havoc on the global energy market and the cost of living at home.

Democrats and a few Republicans ‌have called on Trump to come before Congress and seek authorisation for his war, with some expressing concerns that the president may have entered the US into a long conflict without setting out a ‌clear ‌exit strategy.

The Trump administration say the president’s actions are legal and within his rights as commander in chief, as well as his responsibility to protect the US by ordering limited military operations.

Under a 1973 US war powers law passed in response to the Vietnam War, a US president can wage military action ⁠for only 60 days before they must end it, ask Congress for authorisation, or seek a 30-day ⁠extension, due to the “unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces” while withdrawing forces.

Trump declared on May 1 that a ceasefire with Tehran had “terminated” hostilities, meaning he had not waged more than 60 days of war on Iran.

Despite the president’s assertion that the conflict has ceased, US troops continue to blockade Iranian ports and attack Iranian shipping, while Tehran’s forces are blocking access to the Strait of Hormuz and have attacked US vessels.

Opinion polls suggest that US voters are opposed to the war, which legal experts widely consider to be a violation of international law. (Al Jazeera)

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US Senate Republicans voted down a resolution on Wednesday pushed by Democrats to prohibit President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Iran.

The vote was 47-52, largely along party lines.

Once again, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote for the measure, and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat or independent to vote against it. (Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., missed the vote.)

It was the latest instance of Republicans rejecting attempts to end the war or rein in Trump’s authority to act without congressional approval. While Trump has said for weeks he wants the war to wrap up soon, there is no clear end in sight.

The measure, offered by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., says: “Congress hereby directs the President to remove the United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Iran, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or a specific authorization for use of military force.”

Despite the vote, some Republicans have indicated they will be less deferential to Trump once the war hits 60 days, which will come at the end of April. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires presidents to get congressional approval for military action that goes beyond 60 days.

“We’ve got to start answering questions,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said. “The 60-day target is what I’m looking at.”

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, who is usually a reliable vote for Trump’s agenda, wrote in his local paper, the Deseret News: “I will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval. I take this position for two reasons — one is historical, and one is constitutional.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has also expressed misgivings about the Iran war and floated a resolution that would give Trump limited authorization to use military force.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vowed to keep forcing votes on ending the Iran war, which are privileged and don’t require the consent of Republican leaders to get to the floor.

“We will bring these resolutions to the floor every week,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday. “Our troops deserve a mission, not a mess. They deserve a strategy, not chaos. Now, Republicans have a choice. Stand with our troops or keep them in harm’s way without a plan, stand up as a senator or rubber-stamp Trump’s disastrous and failed war policies.”

A recent CBS News poll found that 40% of Americans approve of the U.S. taking military action in Iran, while 60% disapprove. The survey found widespread disapproval and distrust of Trump’s handling of the situation.

Gas prices have risen since the war began, and the rising costs of diesel and fertilizer have driven economic concerns in the U.S. That has fueled fears of political fallout among Republicans, which could impact their votes on future war powers measures.

“I hope we’re getting closer to having this be over. I think we need an exit strategy that will bring down energy prices in this country, quickly. They’re very high. Very, very high,” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said. “I heard about it constantly while I was at home. Gas prices in Missouri are a little bit cheaper than they are here, but they’re very expensive. And an exit strategy that will be good for our national security and preserve our security.”

Hawley said the 60-day window gives the president some latitude to take military action without Congress, adding: “We’re a few weeks off from that, but not too far.”

But other Republicans, like Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., say Trump can act without their approval for as long as he sees fit.

Johnson also signaled openness to a U.S. military ground presence, while saying it doesn’t need to be “massive.”

“If it requires some special ops to help the Iranian people take over their government, I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” he said. “Unconditional surrender, this regime has to be ended.” (NBC News)

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