US House Rejects Resolution to Prevent American Military Involvement in Lebanon

The House of Representatives of the US Congress has not adopted a resolution saying that Washington should not allow the participation of American forces in the fighting in Lebanon.

The document was supported by 189 votes and opposed by 235. The resolution says that President Donald Trump should withdraw the US armed forces from any military operations in Lebanon within seven days.

The Democratic initiators of the document acknowledged that the US is not currently involved in the fighting, but said the bill was meant to prevent this from happening.

This is a resolution that would be adopted separately in each house of Congress. It has no legal force and is only advisory. In such documents, legislators express their position. The executive branch of the US government has the right to ignore them.

The US constitution gives the power to declare war not to the president, but to Congress. Nevertheless, in recent decades, US leaders interpreted the permissions granted to them by lawmakers to use military force abroad, including to launch essentially new operations, very broadly.

Earlier, Iran demanded from the United States a complete ceasefire in Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from there. It warned that otherwise Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz again.

On June 26, the United States, Israel and Lebanon reached a framework agreement after five rounds of negotiations. Under it, Israeli troops should initially transfer two zones south and north of the Litani River to the control of the Lebanese army. Gradually, the Lebanese army will regain sovereign control over the entire territory. Non-governmental groups will be disarmed and their military infrastructure eliminated, which will create conditions in the future for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops.