3 GOP Senators Defect to Advance Iran War Powers Vote, Defying Party Leaders

Three Republican senators broke ranks with their party to push a bill that could block the president from launching a war against Iran without Congress's approval. Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky crossed party lines Thursday to advance the resolution, sending it to the Senate floor for a full vote [1].

The measure, sponsored by Democrats, would require any president to obtain congressional authorization before ordering military action against Iran. Supporters frame it as a constitutional check on executive power, not a critique of any specific administration [1]. Opponents warn it could hamstring the president’s ability to respond to sudden Iranian attacks. The vote marks a rare moment of bipartisan cooperation on a deeply divisive foreign policy issue [1].

Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is fighting to keep his grip on power. King Charles III delivered his traditional speech setting out the government’s legislative agenda Wednesday, but the royal ceremony was overshadowed by reports that a senior minister—likely Health Secretary Wes Streeting—may resign and trigger a leadership challenge [2][3]. Allies of Streeting claim he could step down, which would start a contest to remove Starmer from office [2]. A cartoon in the *Guardian* captured the Labour leader’s struggle, highlighting internal party divisions and mounting external pressure [4].

Across the Atlantic, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faces a revived impeachment threat after the Constitutional Court ruled that his party’s previous attempt to block the inquiry was unconstitutional. In 2022, Ramaphosa’s African National Congress used its parliamentary majority to shut down the investigation, but with the ANC now sharing power in a coalition government, the outcome is uncertain [5].

In the United States, a Supreme Court ruling in *Louisiana v. Callais* is fueling a fresh wave of partisan redistricting battles. Republican-led states are pushing to redraw congressional maps before the 2026 midterms, with former President Donald Trump urging them to be “bold” [6]. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from the NAACP, whose president called it “one of the worst” rulings in the Court’s history, arguing it reduces Black voters' political power [7]. South Carolina Senate leader Shane Massey defied Trump over a local redistricting plan, warning the relentless pursuit of power is eroding “fundamental American values” [8].

Elsewhere, Philippine Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains under protective custody inside the Senate after sprinting through corridors to escape an International Criminal Court arrest warrant linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug war. The chase on Monday turned the chamber into a legal and political battleground [9].