Washington, DC, 21 February (H.S.): The U.S. Congress intensified bipartisan efforts on Friday, to curtail President Donald Trump's capacity to initiate hostilities against Iran absent explicit legislative sanction, as Pentagon preparations for potential sustained airstrikes underscore mounting regional flashpoints amid faltering diplomacy.

Virginia's Democratic Senator Tim Kaine and Kentucky's Republican Senator Rand Paul introduced a late-January Senate joint resolution mandating a congressional war declaration for any Iran offensive, invoking Article I, Section 8's stipulation that only Congress holds war-declaring prerogative, save delimited national security exceptions.

Kaine lambasted war advocates for evading electoral accountability—hiding under their desks—as U.S. naval assets, including F-22s and F-35s, repositioned proximate Iranian waters following Tehran's ballistic provocations and proxy escalations.

Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna announced intentions to precipitate a House floor vote next week on parallel legislation, with Khanna asserting on X that Trump administration assessments peg Iran strike probability at 90%, necessitating preemptive congressional restraint.

Prior bipartisan endeavors foundered against slim Republican majorities defending executive latitude, yet eroding GOP cohesion—mirroring tariff dissent—hints at viable passage amid public war-weariness.

Reuters disclosed last week Pentagon contingency blueprints for weeks-long campaigns should Trump authorize bombardment, contravening constitutional delineations that bar presidents from protracted engagements sans approval, a doctrine repeatedly tested yet unheeded in Yemen, Syria, and prior Iran tensions.

No Senate timetable emerged Friday, though Kaine's aide signaled imminent deliberation as hawks and isolationists converge against unilateral adventurism.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar