US House rejects resolution on restricting Trump's military action against Venezuela

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US House rejects resolution on restricting Trump's military action against Venezuela

2026-01-23 12:16 Last Updated At：19:17

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday failed to pass a resolution that would have barred President Donald Trump from further military actions against Venezuela, with a tie-breaking vote, 215-215, according to U.S. media reports.

The Democratic-backed war powers resolution requires the president to "remove United States Armed Forces from Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization for use of military force."

Lawmakers opposing the resolution argued that since the United States currently has no ground troops deployed in Venezuela, the resolution was unnecessary.

The tie vote reflects concerns within the Congress, including among some Republican lawmakers, about Trump's foreign policy, according to analysis by some U.S. media outlets.

Previously, several Democratic lawmakers said that given Trump and his administration's recent repeated signals of potential military intervention in Greenland, Iran, Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba, they would continue to push for such votes.

On Jan 3, the United States blatantly launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela, seized by force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and took them out of the country.

The U.S. military strike against Venezuela and capture of its president has shocked the international community, triggering a steady stream of condemnation and serious concerns worldwide.

U.S. expands sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade, maritime networks

The Trump administration on Friday expanded its sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade and maritime networks, issuing a new Iran-related general license and updating its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list with entities and oil tankers tied to Iran's petroleum sector.

The Iran-related General License T, issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), authorizes "limited safety and environmental transactions and the offloading of cargo involving certain persons or vessels blocked on January 23, 2026."

Meanwhile, OFAC updated its SDN list, adding multiple shipping companies and nine oil tankers in alleged links with Iran. The move is expected to effectively block their U.S. property and prohibit U.S. citizens from engaging in transactions with them.

"OFAC is targeting nine shadow fleet vessels and their respective owners or management firms that have collectively transported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil and petroleum products to foreign markets," the Treasury Department said Friday in a press release.

"As previously outlined, Treasury will continue to track the tens of millions of dollars that the regime has stolen and is desperately attempting to wire to banks outside of Iran," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X.

The move came after a series of U.S. sanctions and other measures adopted earlier this month, seen as part of a broader U.S. effort to cut off funding streams supporting Tehran amid ongoing tensions.