Senate Republicans Block War Powers Vote as White House Evades Questions on Iranian School Strike That Killed 175

Senate Republicans on Wednesday defeated a Democratic resolution that would have required President Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Iran, dismissing concerns that the escalating conflict — which the administration has dubbed 'Operation Epic Fury' — risks dragging the United States into a prolonged war without legislative consent.

The vote came as the White House and Pentagon faced mounting international pressure to explain any potential US role in a devastating strike on a girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, four days earlier that killed 175 people, according to The Guardian. During separate press briefings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt were conspicuously evasive when pressed on the incident.

'We're investigating,' Hegseth told reporters, offering no timeline for when the Pentagon might clarify whether American forces were involved in the strike. The UN office has demanded answers, while images of mourners at mass funerals have circulated globally. Leavitt, meanwhile, deflected responsibility entirely, refusing to rule out the possibility that US forces hit the school while also declining to acknowledge American involvement.

The administration's opacity on the school bombing stands in stark contrast to its willingness to tout other military achievements. Hegseth confirmed that US forces had sunk an Iranian warship and claimed that Iran 'can no longer shoot the volume of missiles as before.' He also announced that a suspect in an alleged Trump assassination attempt had been killed in the strikes — a detail that underscores how thoroughly the Iran operation has become intertwined with Trump's personal grievances.

When asked directly whether the White House would rule out putting US boots on the ground in Iran, Leavitt declined to do so, leaving open the possibility of a ground invasion. She praised Trump effusively, claiming he had a 'good feeling' that Iran was going to strike US forces and crediting his preemptive action. 'We're doing very well on the war front,' Trump himself declared, according to USA TODAY.

The Senate's refusal to rein in the president's war powers represents a remarkable abdication of congressional authority. The resolution, which would have invoked the War Powers Act to force Trump to seek legislative approval, was batted down along party lines. Senate Republicans appear content to let the administration prosecute an open-ended conflict that has already expanded across the Middle East, with Hegseth acknowledging Iran's targeting of Turkey — though he said there was 'no sense' it would trigger NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause.

A dramatic scene unfolded during a Senate hearing on Wednesday when a retired US Marine was physically dragged out by Capitol Police and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy after shouting, 'No one wants to fight for Israel!' The protest reflected growing unease, even among some military veterans, about the rationale for the conflict. The Guardian reported that the Marine's outburst came as lawmakers debated the war's legality and scope.

The domestic political fallout from the Iran war is already reshaping the landscape. Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, replacing her with Senator Markwayne Mullin, who has ties to the Cherokee Nation. Noem's dismissal followed what USA TODAY described as an ad campaign and mounting controversies during her brief tenure. Her departure sparked reactions across the political spectrum, with some Republicans praising the move and Democrats questioning the timing amid the Iran crisis.

Meanwhile, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi as part of an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, with the DOJ preparing to release nearly 50,000 files after redactions. The committee's focus on Epstein documents underscores the chaotic nature of Washington right now — a capital simultaneously prosecuting a war, navigating cabinet shakeups, and confronting scandals that have festered for years.

The administration has also pushed back against accusations that it was slow to develop evacuation plans for Americans in the region. According to The Guardian, Afghan allies who helped US forces are now trapped in what one report described as 'hell' at a refugee camp, unable to escape as the conflict widens. Spain, after initial friction with Trump, 'has agreed to cooperate' with US operations, the White House said.

What's most striking about this moment is the administration's refusal to be pinned down on basic facts. Did the US bomb a school full of children? Hegseth is 'investigating.' Will there be ground troops? The White House won't say. Does Congress have any role in deciding whether to continue this war? Senate Republicans have answered with a resounding no. The Iran conflict is being prosecuted with the same improvisational, accountability-free approach that has defined Trump's second term — only now, the stakes involve potential mass casualties and a regional conflagration.

As oil prices soared and the Dow dropped nearly 800 points on news of strikes on Iranian oil tankers, Trump insisted that the war was 'far more important' than gas prices, according to USA TODAY. It's a telling priority from a president who has staked his political fortunes on economic performance. The question is whether the American public — and the international community — will accept a war whose legal basis is murky, whose civilian toll is mounting, and whose endgame remains entirely undefined.

The school strike in Minab is not going away. Images of the funerals, attended by hundreds of mourners, have been published by Reuters and circulated widely. The UN is demanding answers. And the Pentagon's claim that it's 'investigating' rings hollow when the administration has been so quick to trumpet every other aspect of Operation Epic Fury. If the US didn't bomb that school, Hegseth could say so. That he won't tells you everything you need to know about how this war is being conducted — and how little accountability the administration expects to face.