Senate Rejects Resolution Limiting Trump's Iran Military Authority

The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution aimed at limiting President Trump's authority to conduct military operations against Iran, according to CBS News. The vote marked the sixth such attempt by Democrats, as reported by Fox News, which described it as a failure to shatter Republicans' resolve ahead of a crucial deadline under the War Powers Resolution.

That resolution requires Congress to authorize or end hostilities within 60 days of the president's notification, with the period ending on May 1, 2026, when lawmakers begin a weeklong recess. Trump officials have been in talks with lawmakers about a potential Iran war authorization ahead of the deadline, according to a post from LiveSquawk on X.

In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, a Pentagon official stated that the U.S. war against Iran has cost $25 billion so far, as posted by spectatorindex on X. Al Jazeera reported that a U.S.-based think tank estimated U.S. military equipment worth up to $2.8 billion has been destroyed in the conflict.

Just the News quoted a Pentagon official as saying, "Vladimir Putin has undermined U.S. efforts against Iran," without providing further details. The Trump administration disclosed that Operation Epic Fury involved seizing nearly $500 million in Iranian crypto assets, according to a Fortune Magazine post on X citing Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as also noted by CoinDesk.

Internal dynamics at the Pentagon include reports of tensions, with Responsible Statecraft stating that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll "struggles to survive wild west Pentagon" amid actions by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has pushed out at least 15 leaders since January 2025.

Hegseth fired Army Chief of Staff Randy George earlier this month and replaced him with Chris LaNeve, while nominating Hung Cao as acting Secretary of the Navy. Politico reported that Sen. Thom Tillis "doubles down on his latest Trump personnel ultimatum," though specifics of the ultimatum were not detailed in the source.

Senate Republicans have aimed for a 45-day extension on unrelated FISA surveillance authority, as per the Washington Times, but no similar extension was mentioned for war powers.

The conflict has affected global markets, with the World Bank estimating a 24 percent surge in energy prices for 2026, according to The New York Times. com reported that 68 long-range tankers have shifted from fuel to crude transport this year due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, based on ship-tracking data.

CNBC stated that the core inflation rate reached 3.2 percent in March 2026, with first-quarter economic growth at 2 percent, partly attributed to oil price increases from the war. The International Energy Agency discussed risks in critical mineral supply chains in a podcast, as posted on X, but did not directly link it to the Iran conflict.

A ceasefire extension ordered by President Trump has held so far, according to Fox News. Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated there is no current push to vote on an Authorization for the Use of Military Force, as reported by various outlets. Sen.

Susan Collins broke with GOP leaders on the war powers resolution, according to The Hill. Al Jazeera English posted on X about a heated exchange on Capitol Hill reflecting growing unease among lawmakers over a lack of transparency, though specific quotes were not provided.

A Benzinga report noted unusual betting patterns on Polymarket, where bets on military events like a U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities succeeded 51.8 percent of the time, compared to 14 percent across all categories, resulting in $25 million in winnings from longshots in the first 10 weeks of 2026, according to the Anti-Corruption Data Collective.

No publicly released evidence has documented insider involvement in these bets.