War against Iran, day 6: Senate rejects limiting Trump, CIA arms Kurds, Hormuz paralyzed

The sixth day of the joint US-Israeli military operation Epic Fury against Iran brought key political developments in the US Senate, an escalation of the Kurdish insurgent front, and continued paralysis of global energy markets. The conflict is spreading beyond Iran's borders into Lebanon, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf. Al Jazeera ↗

On Wednesday, the US Senate voted 47 to 53 to reject a war powers resolution by which Democrats sought to restrict President Trump from continuing strikes on Iran without Congressional approval. The only Republican who voted for the restriction was Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Democrat John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, by contrast, voted against it, arguing that stripping the president of powers in the middle of an operation would send the wrong signal. Senator Tim Kaine criticized his colleagues, saying: "If you don't have the courage to vote yes or no on war, how dare you send our sons and daughters into combat." A similar resolution will be voted on in the House on Thursday, but Speaker Mike Johnson has indicated he has the votes to defeat it. TIME ↗

According to Iran's Tasnim news agency, the death toll from American and Israeli strikes has reached 1,045. On the American side, six soldiers were killed, four of them in an Iranian drone attack on a military base in Kuwait. A US submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 crew members. In Lebanon, the Israeli military struck more than 60 Hezbollah targets, with at least 50 people killed since Monday. Al Jazeera ↗

The Israeli military announced its tenth wave of strikes on Tehran since the start of the conflict, with targets including Revolutionary Guard buildings, Basij command centers, and internal security facilities in Tehran, Karaj, and Isfahan. The Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that American forces would begin striking increasingly deep into Iranian territory. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed visible damage around the nuclear facility in Isfahan, but stated that facilities containing nuclear material were not hit and there is no risk of a radioactive leak. CNN ↗

The CIA is actively negotiating the arming of Kurdish opposition groups with the aim of triggering an uprising in western Iran. According to CNN, Kurdish fighters are preparing for a ground operation in the coming days. President Trump spoke by phone with the leaders of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. In response, Iran's Revolutionary Guards launched drone attacks on Kurdish positions in Iraqi Kurdistan, hitting the Azadi camp near the town of Koya and a weapons depot in Diyala. Analyst Neil Quilliam of Chatham House warned that arming the Kurds could lead to internal conflict among opposition groups rather than uniting them against the regime. CNN ↗ Al Jazeera ↗

Iran continues its retaliatory strikes, having fired more than 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones at American and Israeli targets in the region since the start of the conflict, according to US Admiral Brad Cooper. The Revolutionary Guards insist that Iran has full control over the Strait of Hormuz. Tanker traffic through the strait, which carries a fifth of the world's oil, remains near zero. Trump has promised tanker insurance and naval escort convoys, which has somewhat calmed oil markets, but analysts warn of oil prices above $100 a barrel in the event of a prolonged closure. Al Jazeera ↗ CNBC ↗

On Wednesday, Iran rejected the prospect of negotiations. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Trump, saying he treated the nuclear talks like a real estate deal, and accused the administration of bombing the negotiating table out of anger. The question of who will become the new Supreme Leader following the death of Ayatollah Khamenei remains open. Trump indicated that regime change is not the primary goal and that power could be taken over by someone from within the current government. Among the candidates is Khamenei's son, Mojtaba. Al Jazeera ↗

Unrest continues in Pakistan. Following pro-Iranian protests, a three-day curfew was declared and the army was deployed. In Karachi, a crowd attacked the American consulate, killing at least nine protesters. Qatar intercepted projectiles heading toward its territory and arrested ten suspected Revolutionary Guard spies. Qatar's prime minister called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilian areas.