India, June 24 -- In a historic assertion of legislative authority, the US Senate voted 50-48 on Tuesday to direct US President Donald Trump to halt military operations against Iran. The passage of the War Powers Resolution, which had cleared the House of Representatives earlier this month, marks the first time since the 1973 enactment of the War Powers Act that both chambers of Congress have moved to formally curtail a president's military campaign.

The resolution, while largely symbolic due to its "concurrent" nature, which bypasses a presidential signature, represents a major political setback for the Trump administration. The bipartisan vote saw four Republican senators-Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Rand Paul, and Bill Cassidy-break...