On Sept. 24, the Senate rejected a House-approved resolution to end U.S. military action in Iran, 49-50, in its final vote on the war before the midterms. Four Republicans—Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, Rand Paul and Susan Collins—joined Democrats in supporting it.
The largely symbolic measure would not have gone to President Donald Trump even if it had passed. A similar concurrent resolution passed in June after defections by Republicans in both chambers, but the war continued; administration officials told Congress hostilities had at times stopped. With fuel and other goods prices high, some Republicans on the campaign trail have increasingly distanced themselves from the conflict.
At the United Nations, Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran if it did not agree to a deal. After his speech, U.S. and Iranian negotiators exchanged messages through intermediaries at the U.N., marking the first contact between the two sides in months.
