US Senate Democrats push war powers resolution as Middle East tensions flare
The last few days have felt like one long, noisy debate over control—of oil lanes, of nuclear risk, of religious symbolism, of who gets to say “no” first.
In Washington, a renewed push is underway among US Senate Democrats for a war powers resolution tied to the US-Israel war on Iran. It’s the kind of move that usually lands somewhere between politics and pressure, and right now it’s happening alongside everything else, not instead of it. Meanwhile, down the chain of command, the diplomatic talk still looks stalled.
In the background, the energy side of the story is getting louder. Misryoum newsroom reported that jet fuel prices are already hitting airlines in a very real way: Qantas said surging jet fuel costs may raise its costs by up to A$800m ($570m) in the second half of this year. The airline also warned the market remains “extremely volatile,” blaming the war in the Middle East for prices that have more than doubled.
Misryoum editorial desk noted the bigger picture being drawn by global financial and energy bodies: Misryoum newsroom reported directors of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the International Energy Agency saying war damage to energy facilities could keep fuel and fertiliser prices high for “a prolonged period”. Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, put it bluntly too—disruptions to oil supplies from the conflict were “the greatest energy security challenge in history.” He said a third of the 80 Middle East energy facilities his agency monitored had been damaged.
And then there’s the timing worry, which feels painfully practical. Birol warned April could be worse than March because many fuel shipments sent before the war are still arriving in ports. It’s the sort of comment that makes you think of waiting lists and delayed paperwork—except the stakes are global. One small, local detail sticks with me: cars queueing for petrol, Montreal this month, with that low rumble of engines and the slightly sharp smell of fuel that you only notice when the line gets longer.
Across the political map, the negotiation posture is still tough. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem urged Lebanon to cancel direct talks with Israel scheduled in Washington, calling them pointless and a “free concession” to Israel and the US. Misryoum editorial team stated Kassem said Lebanon should return to the 2024 ceasefire, when talks were indirect, with the US, France and UN peacekeepers mediating. But in the current phase, Lebanon’s government wants direct talks while saying it’s committed to disarming Hezbollah—Israel, for its part, has framed the talks as peace negotiations with Hezbollah’s disarmament as a priority, without mentioning a truce or withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
On the US side, vice-president JD Vance kept repeating a familiar theme: the US has laid out its conditions, and now the ball is on the Iranian side. Misryoum newsroom reported he said Washington’s red lines were clear, specifically US control of Iran’s enriched uranium and a verification mechanism to ensure it doesn’t develop a nuclear weapon in the future. Vance said it’s one thing for Tehran to claim it won’t build a nuclear weapon, and another to set up the mechanism to make sure that doesn’t happen. The weekend talks in Pakistan ended without a deal to end the more than six-week war.
Even the dispute between Washington and the Vatican got pulled into the same orbit of leverage and messaging. Donald Trump refused to apologise to Pope Leo after criticising him for opposing the war in Iran, and tried to explain away a now-deleted social media post showing him as a Jesus-like healer. Misryoum editorial desk noted Trump said he thought the image was him as a doctor tied to the Red Cross—then blamed “fake news” for any confusion. The president’s remarks are still echoing, but what matters most right now is whether any of it changes the core standoff, or just shifts the tone while the clocks keep moving—ports, shipments, negotiations, and a very sensitive choke-point in the Strait of Hormuz, where pressure is already being applied.
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