New Delhi, March 5 -- The US Senate on Wednesday rejected an effort to curb President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran, voting largely along party lines to block a war powers resolution that would have required congressional approval for the expanding conflict.

The measure failed by a vote of 53 to 47, allowing the administration to continue prosecuting its joint military campaign with Israel - Operation Epic Fury - which began four days earlier with sweeping strikes across Iranian territory.

The vote marked the first major congressional test of political support for the war, exposing sharp partisan divisions as lawmakers grapple with the legality and strategic scope of the conflict, which has alread...