President or Congress? Who in the US has the power to declare war?

US presidents have long bypassed Congress’s authority, and dissenting lawmakers have often tried to fight back.

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As United States President Donald Trump faces mounting global criticism for starting the war on Iran with Israel, he is also facing a battle at home with opposition lawmakers who have challenged his authority to conduct the conflict.

Democrats argue that Trump, a Republican, wrongly sidelined Congress to start the war on Iran and has failed to explain the reasons for it – or what the US’s endgame is. Trump’s cabinet says he has the right to order emergency measures in “self-defence” against an “imminent threat” posed by Iran.