In a welcome move, the US House of Representatives recently voted to curb President Donald Trump’s ability to strike Iran militarily. The House adopted a bipartisan provision that would require Trump to get Congress’s approval before authorising military force against Iran. The bipartisan move reflects war-weariness in America. This is to be expected given the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in the last decade. In Iraq, the US military intervention eventually led to the rise of the Islamic State terror group. And in Afghanistan, the US is finally having to talk to the Taliban to ensure peace in that country.
Both these wars and US military actions in Syria and Pakistan since 2001 have cost American taxpayers $5.9 trillion. Add to this the huge cost in human lives (American military personnel) and security threats to American citizens and assets. Against this backdrop, starting a war with Iran will be catastrophic for the US. Besides, Iran has far more depth and influence in the Middle East than Iraq or Afghanistan ever had. Provoking Tehran into a conflict will see the whole Middle East burn and sectarian strife erupt like a volcano.
The security ramifications of this for the US will be gargantuan and may last for several decades. Thus, the US Congress is well within its rights to make it incumbent upon Trump to seek its approval before authorising military action against Iran. Trump’s advisers like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo are known as Iran baiters. Hence, the Congress check will help in restraining such advisers from pushing Trump towards war.
Plus, let us not forget that Iran has done nothing to invite such US military action. It has followed every stipulation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Yet, the Trump administration egged on by Israel and Saudi Arabia, is heaping pressure on Iran and is illegally sanctioning that country. There is absolutely no justification for Trump’s Iran moves. And the US Congress’s latest move shows that American lawmakers disagree with Trump’s approach to Iran. Cool, rational heads must prevail. Otherwise, Team Trump could drag the US into its worst Middle Eastern expedition that will send shockwaves throughout the region and make the global situation far more precarious than anything we have seen.