US House rejects bid to curb Trump's Iran war powers

The US House of Representatives has rejected an effort to curb Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran, as the president faces fierce criticism over launching the conflict without seeking approval from Congress.

Lawmakers voted down a bipartisan resolution led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna that would have required Trump to obtain congressional authorisation before continuing military operations against Tehran.

The measure fell short by 212 votes to 219, a day after the Senate rejected a similar effort, underscoring Congress's limited appetite for confronting the White House in the early days of the conflict.

Even if it had passed both chambers, Trump would have been able to veto the legislation.

The vote has come less than a week after the United States and Israel began a sweeping military campaign against Iran, targeting missile facilities and other infrastructure.

The strikes have already killed senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has also claimed American lives, with six US servicemembers killed in a strike on a US base in Kuwait.

"Republicans had their chance to do something that would have been overwhelmingly popular: to say no to Trump's war," Chuck Schumer, who leads the Senate's Democratic minority, has said.

"Instead, they enthusiastically said yes, and now they own this war with Iran just as much as Donald Trump does."

Republican leaders rallied behind Trump, arguing that limiting his authority would embolden Iran.

"I think passage of a war powers resolution right now would be a terrible, dangerous idea... It would empower our enemies," House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters.

However, Massie said Congress must reassert its role: "Under our Constitution, the power to initiate war rests solely with Congress."