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23:18
US House Follows Senate, Rejects Curbs On Trump's War Authority
The US House of Representatives on March 5 rejected an effort to limit President Donald Trump's authority to wage war against Iran.
The measure led by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna was defeated 212-219. It would have required Trump to obtain congressional authorization before continuing military operations against Tehran.
The US House of Representatives (file photo)
It came a day after the Senate rejected a similar effort, underscoring the Republican-controlled Congress's reluctance to confront Trump as US forces conduct joint air strikes with Israel on Iran.
Trump would have been able to veto the legislation, even if it had successfully passed both chambers.
A two-thirds majority in both chambers would have been required to override the veto -- an almost impossible undertaking given in the current makeup of Congress.
Under the US Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war. The 1973 War Powers Resolution was intended to prevent presidents from committing US forces to long conflicts without getting approval of Congress.
"I think passage of a war powers resolution right now would be a terrible, dangerous idea...It would empower our enemies," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters ahead of the vote.
Chuck Schumer, who leads the Senate's Democratic minority, said, "Republicans had their chance to do something that would have been overwhelmingly popular: to say no to Trump's war."
"Instead, they enthusiastically said yes, and now they own this war with Iran just as much as Donald Trump does."
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFPShare
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22:57
French Military Allows US Support Jets To Use Istres Air Base
The French military said US support jets have been permitted to use a French air base, saying it had "full guarantees" the aircraft were not involved in strikes on Iran.
"US aircraft providing operational support (not combat aircraft) have been accepted at the Istres air base in France," the general staff said.
"France has required that the assets involved in no way take part in the operations conducted by the United States in Iran, but strictly in support of the defense of our partners in the region. It has obtained full guarantees to that effect," it said.
The Istres-Le Tube Air Base is large facility near Istres, northwest of Marseille. US forces have in the past used the base during missions involving French and American forces.
Separately, Alice Rufo, the minister delegate to the defense minister, said, "There is no use of French bases in the Near and Middle East for American offensive action."
The comments come two days after French President Emmanuel Macron said US-Israel military operations in Iran were conducted "outside international law."
With reporting by AFPEntrance to French Air Base.
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22:47
Sri Lanka Assisting Second Iranian Vessel After US Sub Sank Warship
Sri Lanka on March 5 begun offloading 208 crew members from a second Iranian vessel off its coast, a day after 87 people were killed after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the region with a torpedo.
"After detailed discussions with all parties, Sri Lanka has decided to assist the Iranian vessel," Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference in the capital, Colombo.
Sri Lankan military personnel stand guard near a hospital where Iranian sailors were being treated.
The ship was outside Sri Lankan territorial waters near the port of Colombo, Dissanayake said.
Dissanayake said the second Iranian vessel, the IRINS Bushehr, asked the Sri Lankan government for permission to dock at one of the countrys ports. The government decided to offload the crew and then escort the ship to port on the island nation, which is 27 kilometers from India at its nearest point.
Officials did not confirm if the ship was a naval or commercial vessel. It wasn't immediately clear if the ship crew feared attack or if there had been technical issues.
The crew included 53 officials, 84 cadets, 48 senior sailors, and 23 sailors, Dissanayake said.
Some crew members would remain on board to help Sri Lanka's navy bring the vessel to a port in the eastern part of the island, the president added.
A US submarine sank the first ship, the IRIS Dena, on March 4 some 20 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's southern port city of Galle.
IRIS Dena had participated in an India-organized naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal on February 18-25 and was returning to its home port, naval records and Sri Lankan officials said.
Sri Lankan officials said 87 sailors were killed, while military crews rescued 32 survivors. Ten remain missing, officials said. Initial reports said 60 were unaccounted for, but the number was later amended.
The attack dramatically widened the scope of the war, which began on February 28 when US and Israeli air strikes pounded Iranian sites. Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes at Israel, Arab Gulf allies of the United States, and other countries including Azerbaijan and Turkey.
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20:31
Iranians Flee To Armenia As Air Strikes Continue
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By
RFE/RL's Armenian Service
Iranians crossing the border into Armenia as they flee US and Israeli air strikes had mixed feelings when they spoke to RFE/RL, painting a picture of the frightening situation they left behind while also expressing relief over the toppling of senior leadership.
