United States

The House passed H.Con.Res.89 by 214 votes to 208 on 23 July, directing the withdrawal of US forces from the Iran conflict under the War Powers Resolution, while the Senate killed a binding companion, S.J.Res.180, by 47 to 49 the same day. On 15 September The House voted on war powers again without forcing a withdrawal.

On 24 September the Senate rejected H.Con.Res.89 by 49 to 50. Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis crossed party lines, Tillis for the first time, citing economic cost and voter opposition. A concurrent resolution never reaches the President, so even a win would have registered congressional opinion rather than bound the executive.

US Central Command began enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports at 8pm on 14 July, reversing its own statement two days earlier that the strait of Hormuz remained open; Brent rose to $87 and daily transits fell to about six ships. By 6 August it reported 49 vessels redirected, two disabled and two boarded.

The blockade has become a bargaining chip. Iran's six conditions of 8 August for reopening the strait included lifting it, and on 26 September Trump rejected a seven-day reopening plan that Qatar had carried from Tehran. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates want the blockade kept, and three seized tankers carrying close to 6 million barrels were weeks from American ports on 25 September.

On 4 September the Treasury blacklisted Turkey's Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi and two affiliates for moving Revolutionary Guard money, giving counterparties until 19 September to wind down. Russia's VTB Bank joined the US list on 14 September, when the State Department cited its branch offices inside Iran and the billions of dollars of Iranian assets it had shifted.

A further Treasury round on 29 September hit ten parts of a network buying missile and drone components for Tehran, centred on KavoshCom Asia R and D Group, including companies incorporated in Riyadh, Islamabad and Istanbul. Each round pushes US compliance pressure onto banks and suppliers in third countries, the place where Washington's financial reach extends furthest beyond its own territory.