WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States (US) House of Representatives passed a largely symbolic resolution Thursday calling for President Donald Trump to halt military action against Iran, delivering another congressional rebuke as the Middle East war sharply escalates.

The measure — which passed 214-208 after four Republicans joined opposition Democrats in support — directs Trump to remove US forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorises the war.

But as a concurrent resolution, it does not go to the president for signature and carries disputed legal force, meaning Trump is almost certain to ignore it.

The vote came after the United States launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iranian military targets, its 12th consecutive night of attacks, while Iran has fired on US bases and American-allied Gulf states.

Four US service personnel killed in recent Iran-related attacks were honored this week as their remains returned to the United States in flag-draped cases.

The conflict has also spread further across regional shipping lanes. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said Wednesday they had struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea after declaring a maritime blockade, while Iran has kept pressure on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy supplies.

The House vote underscored growing unease in Congress over a war that began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February and has become a political burden for Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

– ‘Illegal war’ –

Democratic congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who introduced the resolution, called the vote a “big victory for the vast majority of the American people who want President Trump to end this illegal war.”

Democrats have used repeated war powers votes to force Republicans onto the record over the unpopular conflict, arguing that Trump violated the Constitution by launching and sustaining military operations without approval from Congress.

Most Republicans, however, stood by the president.

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Brian Mast accused critics of failing to recognise the sacrifice of US troops killed in the conflict and said the operation was bringing a “reckoning” for Iranian attacks.

The Senate narrowly rejected a separate Democratic-led war powers measure soon after the House vote.

“When are Senate Republicans going to stand up? When will they say enough?” Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech.

“The American people are watching. Senate Republicans lose credibility with the American people with every vote they take against ending Trump’s war.”

War powers votes are usually close, and often depend on attendance. Congress passed a non-binding resolution in June, but Trump dismissed that vote as “poorly timed and meaningless.”

The White House has argued that efforts to limit Trump’s authority would weaken Washington as it seeks to pressure Tehran.

Democrats and a small number of Republicans say the opposite: that Congress must reclaim its constitutional role over decisions of war and peace.