House Rebukes Iran War as Lebanon Ceasefire Stalls

A 215-208 House vote on Wednesday directed President Trump to withdraw US forces from hostilities with Iran -- the first time either chamber had passed such a measure since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28. Four Republicans voted with Democrats: Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Warren Davidson of Ohio, and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania -- Fitzpatrick framed his vote simply: 'You either follow the law, or you change the law.' Trump dismissed the result on Truth Social as 'antipatriotic' and said the four Republicans knew 'where the negotiations stand.' The resolution is symbolic and cannot be vetoed, but it marks the first congressional pushback in more than three months of fighting. The Pentagon has priced the conflict at $29 billion; some analysts warn the total could exceed $1 trillion. More than 3,400 people have been killed in Iran. Thirteen American service members have died. Rising fuel and fertiliser prices are pushing Trump's approval to what one account described as abysmal levels.

On the Lebanon front, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem rejected the ceasefire framework announced after Washington talks on June 2 and 3. In a statement read on Al-Manar TV, he said withdrawing fighters from southern Lebanon under fire would mean 'surrender, defeat and achieving the enemy's goals' and insisted Hezbollah had made 'no commitment to any party to stop resisting as long as there is occupation.' Fighting killed at least four people in Lebanon on June 4, and a Serbian UN peacekeeper, Milovan Jovanovic, was killed by mortar fire near Marjeyoun that the Israeli military attributed to Hezbollah. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called the latest Washington round a 'last opportunity,' while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the Lebanese army would deploy in agreed pilot zones in the south.

The war's energy consequences are hardening into long-term projections. Top oil executives and shipping experts warned that even a peace deal would not quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz or repair Gulf energy infrastructure -- a recovery likely to take months or years. The US CentCom reported 127 commercial ships diverted since the blockade began and six non-compliant vessels neutralised. Four Iranian-flagged tankers -- the Hilda I, Amber, Silvia I, and Happiness I -- slipped through the strait on Monday with transponders off, carrying seven million barrels of oil, the first such movement since April 15 according to Kpler. Satellite imagery released June 4 showed damage at the US air base in Kuwait from a recent Iranian missile strike.

Iran's Supreme Leader Motjaba Khamenei, in a statement delivered at a ceremony marking Ayatollah Khomeini's death anniversary, declared Iran had struck 'a decisive blow' and that the US and Israel were experiencing 'a meaningful and profound humiliation.' He characterised current US diplomatic efforts as 'trickery' but the declaration came alongside signals from Tehran that a deal remained theoretically possible. US military analysis circulated this week found the Iran war has already lasted far beyond the four-to-five weeks Trump predicted, settled into a shaky ceasefire with both sides still striking, and generated attrition pressures -- particularly on precision munitions -- that the Pentagon will need to address for a protracted conflict.

On domestic political matters: Trump nominated Todd Blanche, his personal lawyer during his federal indictment, as permanent attorney general, following the acting appointment. Former national security adviser John Bolton agreed to plead guilty in the classified documents case, a high-profile outcome for a prosecution that began under the Biden administration. Broadcom shares fell sharply after the chipmaker's revenue forecast disappointed markets, wiping approximately $300 billion from the company's market capitalisation. Blackstone capped withdrawals from its flagship private credit fund, citing redemption pressure.