The House of Representatives passed a bill on July 12 requiring President Donald Trump to obtain congressional approval before launching a strike against Iran.
The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was passed included an amendment on the matter, stating that the 2001 Authorization for Use Military Force (AUMF) that’s been used to strike Islamic terrorists in the Middle East could not be used to strike Iran. The amendment passed with 251 votes in favor, including more than a dozen Republicans, and 170 against and the NDAA passed with 220 votes in favor and 197 against.
However, NBC News notes that the Senate’s version of the NDAA is different than the House version and that the aforementioned Iran amendment likely won’t make the final version of the bill.
The House bill’s passage comes after Trump nixed a strike against Iran in June after learning that 150 people would die. Iran had shot down a United States drone earlier that week.
The Trump administration has been ramping up sanctions against the Iranian regime as tensions escalate between the two countries, although the administration is reportedly backing off plans to sanction Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.