Trump: "A deal with Iran is possible by the weekend." The House votes to halt the war.

Congress has given Donald Trump his first stop in the war between the United States and Iran. Peace negotiations could be concluded "by the weekend," the president says, as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has given the president its first red light. The House passed a resolution to bar Trump from ordering further attacks against Iran, increasing pressure on the administration to reach a negotiated solution. The vote—215 in favor, including four Republicans, and 208 opposed—sent a clear signal to the White House. The Senate had already approved a similar resolution last month in a procedural vote. 

The resolution passed by the House now moves to the Senate. Even if it were to be approved by both houses of Congress, it would not automatically force the president to withdraw troops: Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to oppose any "unconstitutional" attempt by Congress to limit his war powers. The president of the United States could veto the measure if it were to pass the Senate. 

The vote comes at a time of particular tension: the last few hours have been marked by actions by Washington and Tehran. The Iranian military has claimed responsibility for missile and drone strikes against American military targets in the region, including the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, claiming they were responding to US strikes against Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. 

Is the ceasefire still in effect? ​​"There's a reason for certain things, and it's usually a reason that makes sense," the American president gave a detailed and unclear response to reporters in the Oval Office. "We nipped it in the bud very quickly, as we do with the largest military in the world. Some would say we were provoked because we acted forcefully," Trump said, without clarifying the reasons behind the back-and-forth. For the White House leader, despite the risk of escalation, Iran is "very close" to signing a peace agreement with the United States. "It could happen this weekend," he added, setting, once again, a deadline. "Anything can happen when you're dealing with Iran... it's a very unstable part of the world, probably the most unstable. The population is unstable. The leadership—you see what's happening," he added. 

Trump reiterated that the crux of the negotiations is Iran's commitment to never possess, develop, or acquire a nuclear weapon. "They're pretty close to signing a document." "At the moment," Tehran intends to allow the United States to enter the Islamic Republic's territory to recover the enriched uranium stored in underground storage facilities: "We'll do it with them. The Iranians have changed their minds a couple of times, but as things stand, we'll intervene in the not-too-distant future." 

Given the US military's strength, "we could go on for another two or three weeks and wipe everyone out. I'd rather not do that, even though it would be very easy. But if we could put something in writing that would achieve the same result without killing everyone, I'd like to do it. Most of my people would agree. Some wouldn't, but most would." 

(Adnkronos)