US Senate minority leader pushes votes for US military involvement in Iran war

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Democrats will continue pressing Congress to limit US military involvement in hostilities with Iran.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer sharply criticized President Donald Trump's handling of the situation and called for congressional action to reassert its authority over matters of war and peace.

"Trump has proven over and over again that he's incapable of getting our country out of this mess. Congress needs to step up," Schumer said.

The New York Democrat pointed to a bipartisan effort before Memorial Day last month in which Democrats and several Republicans supported advancing a war powers resolution.

"We will not stop forcing votes to end this war until this disastrous war is over once and for all.

"Trump and his allies in the Senate may not see the urgency of ending this war, but Democrats and the American people do," Schumer said.

Trump said Monday that talks with Iran are continuing "at a rapid pace."

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February. Tehran retaliated with attacks targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. Efforts for a solution, however, have continued since.