House votes to curb Trump's Iran war powers as sweeping Russia sanctions bill advances

Late on Tuesday, the US House of Representatives delivered a mixed set of results for President Donald Trump, voting for a third time to curb his war powers in Iran while simultaneously advancing a major sanctions bill and blocking an effort by rebel Democrats to force an impeachment vote.

A bipartisan rebuke on Iran

The House voted 220-204 to approve a war powers resolution that would halt the president's ability to continue military action against Iran without explicit congressional approval. It is the third time the House has passed such a measure this summer, though none have yet reached the president's desk, where they would face an almost certain veto.

The vote saw seven Republicans break ranks to join a unified Democratic caucus in support of the limit.

"Remember when Donald Trump said that this war would last just a few weeks?" asked Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat and former marine who championed the resolution. He argued it was time for Congress to assert its constitutional authority "rather than be subservient to another warmongering administration."

Supporters of the administration dismissed the move as political theatre ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Republican Brian Mast of Florida, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the president's record, arguing that Trump is actively working to end "forever wars" and describing Iran as a "continuous ongoing threat" to the United States.

Severe tariffs on Russia's oil buyers

Shortly after the war powers vote, the Republican majority secured a narrow victory on a separate foreign policy front. By a vote of 214-211, the House advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, clearing a crucial procedural hurdle ahead of a final vote.

Two Democrats defected to help Republicans pass the procedural measure.

The bill, which passed the Senate last month with an overwhelming 86-11 majority, would grant the president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that continue to buy oil and gas from Russia. While the bill text refers to Russia's five largest energy importers rather than naming countries directly, the primary targets are India and China. It also targets the "shadow fleet" of tankers used to bypass existing maritime sanctions.

The move has already triggered political fallout abroad. In India, Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the opposition Congress party, seized on the news to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kharge claimed the threat of 100 percent tariffs showed that the Modi government's foreign policy had "miserably failed" and accused the prime minister of "surrendering" to Washington's demands at the expense of Indian industries like pharmaceuticals, textiles, and technology.

Impeachment push sidelined

While the foreign policy debates dominated the floor, a faction of Democrats also sought to force an immediate vote on articles of impeachment against Trump.

The effort, led by Texas Democrat Al Green, was quickly sidelined. A bipartisan majority voted to table the resolution, with several Democrats joining Republicans to quash the measure. Democratic leadership has been anxious to avoid a divisive floor fight over impeachment so close to the November midterms, preferring to focus on key campaign issues.

With Congress scheduled to begin an early recess on Thursday before returning on 9 November, Tuesday's votes represent the final legislative skirmishes on these fronts before the American electorate goes to the polls.