Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives pushed on Monday for a vote on a war powers resolution seeking to bar further American military action against Iran without congressional authorization, as the conflict spread beyond the Gulf. The measure faced steep resistance from Republican leadership.

The renewed effort followed a weekend in which Yemen's Houthi militants fired on Saudi oil facilities and signs emerged of the war extending to the Red Sea and Caspian regions. The Trump administration forgoed strikes on Iran for the first time in two weeks, according to reporting from Washington.

Representatives including members of the Progressive Caucus argued that continued US involvement required explicit approval under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Republican leaders, who control the chamber, signaled they would not bring the measure to the floor and defended the President's authority to respond to attacks on American interests and allies.

The dispute reflected deepening divisions in Congress over the scope of US commitments in the Middle East. Several senators separately called for briefings from the Pentagon and State Department on the administration's strategy and any plans for further escalation.

A vote on the resolution, even if forced through a discharge procedure, was considered unlikely to pass given Republican majorities in both chambers. Brookings Institution analysts said the debate nonetheless placed political pressure on the White House to clarify its objectives.