The U.S. military has moved additional ships and tanker aircraft into the Middle East and hurried a carrier to the region, officials have confirmed to Military.com, as Israel and Iran continue to exchange missile barrages and threaten to plunge the region into war.As tensions rise, a Democratic senator is introducing legislation to prevent President Donald Trump from taking U.S. military action against Iran without explicit congressional approval.”I am deeply concerned that the recent escalation of hostilities between Israel and Iran could quickly pull the United States into another endless conflict,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement Monday announcing he is introducing what’s known as a war powers resolution. “The American people have no interest in sending service members to fight another forever war in the Middle East. This resolution will ensure that, if we decide to place our nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way, we will have a debate and vote on it in Congress.”Read Next: Supreme Court Rules Unanimously Against Time Limits on Combat-Related Disability PayLast week, Israel began a military campaign against Iran that it argues is necessary to prevent its adversary from getting closer to developing a nuclear weapon. The attacks, Israel’s largest-ever against Iran, have killed several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists and damaged key nuclear facilities.Iran, which maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, has retaliated with missile strikes against Israel. The back-and-forth has raised fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.
A U.S. official confirmed to Military.com that the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is moving to the Middle East to join the carrier USS Carl Vinson and its strike group. However, the official noted that the Vinson is nearing the end of its deployment and the plan was always to be relieved by the Nimitz.Instead, now the Nimitz is heading there without delay, canceling a planned port visit.The U.S. official said the Navy is also in the process of moving a third destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner, into the region to join the destroyers USS Arleigh Burke and USS The Sullivans. The move would increase the U.S. presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.All three ships are capable of conducting ballistic missile defense.The official noted that the Burke and Sullivans had both launched missile interceptors in recent days, and the Burke was currently in port in nearby Souda Bay, Crete, getting rearmed.The official also said that they expected other destroyers to join those three in the near future.Meanwhile, a defense official also confirmed to Military.com that a wave of tanker aircraft that took off Sunday are heading across the Atlantic and closer to the region to bolster U.S. defenses.The move was first spotted by online military and flight watchers, who noticed the more than 20 tankers taking flight late Sunday night.The defense official said that move was precautionary and primarily defensive with the aim of offering U.S. leaders greater flexibility and options for any operations. The official wouldn’t speculate or offer insight into what those operations would be.Trump has alternately distanced the U.S. from the conflict between Iran and Israel, and threatened Iran. Asked Monday about the possibility of the U.S. military involvement in the conflict, Trump told reporters that he didn’t “want to talk about that.”He previously told ABC News on Sunday that “it’s possible” the U.S. could get involved, and on Saturday, he posted a stark warning to Iran on his social media website Truth Social.”If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. armed forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” Trump posted.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to bring the U.S. further into the conflict. He told ABC Monday that “America is supporting us in defense” and argued that U.S. forces should become more involved.”We’re not just fighting our enemy. We’re fighting your enemy. For God’s sake, they chant ‘death to Israel, death to America.’ We’re simply on their way. And this could reach America soon,” Netanyahu said.Kaine’s resolution specifically would direct Trump to “terminate the use of United States armed forces for hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran,” according to the text.The resolution also specifies that it is not meant to “prevent the United States from defending itself from imminent attack.”Kaine’s resolution relies on the 1973 War Powers Act, passed in the wake of the Vietnam War to reassert Congress’ authority to declare war. One aspect of the law provides an expedited way for Congress to block military action.Under the law, war powers resolutions are privileged in the Senate, meaning Kaine will be able to force a vote on it despite the chamber being controlled by Republicans.In 2020, Kaine introduced a similar resolution to block any U.S. military action against Iran after Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and tensions spiked, including with an Iranian missile attack in Iraq that injured more than 100 U.S. troops.Back then, both the Senate and House approved Kaine’s resolution. But Trump vetoed it, and Congress could not muster the votes to override Trump’s veto.Kaine has long been a leading voice in Congress on issues of war powers. During the Biden administration, he expressed concern about the legality of the military campaign against Houthi rebels in Yemen, though he did not file a war powers resolution to stop it.Related: US Military Authorizes Voluntary Departure of Troops’ Dependents Across Mideast, Officials Say
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