WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate is headed towards a vote Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s decision to embark on a war against Iran, an extraordinary test in Congress for a conflict that has rapidly spread across the Middle East with no clear U.S. exit strategy.

The legislation, known as a war powers resolution, gives lawmakers an opportunity to demand congressional approval before any further attacks are carried out. The Senate resolution and a similar bill being voted on in the House later this week face unlikely paths through the Republican-controlled Congress and would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump even if they were to pass.

Nonetheless, the votes marked a weighty moment for lawmakers. Their decisions on the five-day-old war — which Trump entered without congressional approval — could determine the fates of U.S. military members, countless other lives and the future of the region.

“Wars without clear objectives do not remain small. They get bigger, bloodier, longer and more expensive,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer at a news conference Tuesday. “This is not a necessary war. It’s a war of choice.”

Trump administration scrambles for congressional support

After launching a surprise attack against Iran on Saturday, Trump has scrambled to win support for a conflict that Americans of all political persuasions were already wary of entering. Trump administration officials have been a frequent presence on Capitol Hill this week as they try to reassure lawmakers that they have the situation under control.

“We are not going to put American troops in harm’s way,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in a raucous news conference at the Capitol Tuesday.

But six U.S. military members were killed over the weekend in a drone strike in Kuwait. Hundreds of others in the region have died.

Trump has also not ruled out deploying U.S. ground troops. He has said he is hoping to end the bombing campaign within a few weeks, but his goals for the war have shifted from regime change to stopping Iran from developing nuclear capabilities to crippling its navy and missile programs.

“I think they are achieving great success with what they’ve done so far,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday, adding that what happens next in the country will be “largely up to the Iranian people.”

Almost all Republican senators were readying to vote Wednesday against the war powers resolution to halt military action, but a number still expressed hesitation at the idea of deploying troops on the ground in Iran.

“I don’t think the American people want to see troops on the ground,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., as he exited a classified briefing Tuesday. He added that Trump administration officials “left open that possibility,” but it wasn’t an option they were emphasizing.

Lawmakers to go on record

The votes in Congress this week represented potentially consequential markers of just where lawmakers stand on the war as they look ahead to midterm elections and the consequences of the conflict.

“Nobody gets to hide and give the president an easy pass or an end-run around the Constitution,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, the Virginia Democrat leading the war powers resolution. “Everybody’s got to declare whether they’re for this war or against it.”

Republican leaders have successfully, though narrowly, defeated a series of war powers resolutions pertaining to several other conflicts that Trump has entered or threatened to enter. This one, however, is different.

Unlike Trump’s military campaigns against alleged drug boats or even Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the attack on Iran represents an open-ended conflict that is already ricocheting across the region. For Republicans who are used to operating in a political party dominated by Trump and his promises of keeping the U.S. out of foreign entanglements, the moment represented a bit of whiplash.

“War is ugly, it always has been ugly, but we’re taking out a regime that has been trying to attack us for quite some time,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican.

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has long pushed Trump to engage overseas, argued that the widening conflict represented an opportunity for Arab and European countries to join in the fight against Iran and the militant groups it supports.

“I don’t mind people being on record as to whether or not they think this is a good idea,” he told reporters, but also argued that too much power over the military was ceded to Congress in the War Powers Act, which mandates that presidents must withdraw troops from a conflict within 90 days if there is no congressional authorization.

House vote looms

On the other side of the Capitol, House leaders were also readying for an intense debate over the war followed by a vote Thursday.

“I do believe we have the votes to defeat it, I certainly hope we do,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said after an all-member briefing on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expected a strong showing from Democrats in favor of the war powers resolution.

As lawmakers emerged from a closed-door briefing Tuesday night, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, implored the Trump administration to “come to Congress” and speak directly to the American people about the rationale for the war.

His voice filled with emotion as he said, “Our young men and women’s lives are on the line.”

👉Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim on your podcast app👈

What happens next in Iran? Will there be regime change? And what are the actual objectives of Israel and America?

Yalda and Richard are both in Israel as the conflict in the region ramps up. Both have been reporting on the ground and working their contacts to find out what the American and Israeli strategy is.

As the death toll in Iran climbs, and the Americans say the biggest hits are yet to come, just what happens next?

The two of them will answer listeners’ questions, so write to them at theworld@sky.uk

To listen to Richard’s bonus Q&A episode, click here.

You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.

But this January, something changed. Harry Styles released Aperture, the first single from his latest album, Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally (out this Friday). It was moody, considerably more electronic-leaning, and decidedly different to anything we’ve heard from Styles thus far. Fans leaving listening parties for the single described it as “techno”, a misguided description that I suspect is partly due to techno’s pervasive dominance in the electronic music world right now or, more likely, Harry Styles’s recent fondness for wearing a slogan baseball cap that says “techno is my boyfriend.”

The US has joined forces in Ecuador in operations against “narcoterrorists” responsible for alleged illegal drug trafficking.

The military’s southern command, which operates in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, made the announcement with little fanfare on social media.

Commander Francis Donovan said: “We commend the men and women of the Ecuadorian armed forces for their unwavering commitment to this fight, demonstrating courage and resolve through continued actions against narcoterrorists in their country.”

Ecuador’s defence ministry refused to share details of the operations.

Trump’s war on drugs

The Trump administration has been waging war on drug cartels, and the president has pressured countries he deems responsible for illegal substances crossing the border to co-operate.

Combating “narcoterrorists” was the justification for Donald Trump’s hostile approach to Venezuela in the months before the stunning capture of its president, Nicolas Maduro, in January.

Ecuador, however, has been keen to show it’s on Mr Trump’s side.

Sky’s chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay joined police on a drugs raid in the capital, Guayaquil, where officers have been raising their game.

One told Ramsay: “The United States [is] giving us money, guns, technology, and we are so happy about that.

“It’s very important for the war.”

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The hunt for drug dealers in Ecuador

Read more from Sky News:
US is burning through ammo in Iran
UK to impose ‘unprecedented’ visa ban

The US also has plans to open a military base in Ecuador.

While the country doesn’t produce drugs, it is used as a transit by cartels in the region. Its ports are the gateway to sea routes north to the US and west to Asia and the South Pacific.

The death of Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein was a grim and chaotic affair, with the man who had once ruled with an iron fist being taunted and jeered as he stood on the gallows

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Saddam Hussein governed Iraq with ruthless authority for over two decades, maintaining his grip on the Middle Eastern country through intimidation, violence and absolute power, whilst eliminating anyone who dared oppose him.

However, his rule collapsed in 2006 after a US-led military intervention, and in the early morning of December 30 2006, the man who had once led an entire army found himself standing beneath the gallows, awaiting execution.

Hussein was formally found guilty of crimes against humanity connected to a 1982 atrocity in Dujail, where 148 Shi’ite males and youngsters were savagely murdered after an assassination attempt.

Following an extensive and disputed trial at the Iraqi Special Tribunal, he received a death sentence by hanging.

Saddam had asked to face a firing squad instead, claiming it was the appropriate military penalty for a former head of armed forces, but his appeal was rejected.

During his final hours at Camp Justice in Baghdad, the ex-dictator consumed a last supper of chicken with rice, accompanied by hot water and honey.

He clutched a Qur’an as he was escorted into the execution chamber just before sunrise on the opening day of Eid al-Adha, reports the Mirror.

Those present in the chamber subsequently recounted a charged and disorderly scene.

While certain officials stayed quiet, others mocked him as chants glorifying Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr echoed through the room whilst Saddam stood upon the scaffold, the noose suspended overhead.

Throughout the ordeal, witnesses reported he maintained his composure despite enduring relentless taunts.

When questioned about experiencing fear or regret, he’s said to have responded that he felt no apprehension, declaring instead that his existence had been dedicated to combating aggression.

As the rope was secured round his throat, Saddam started reciting the Shahada, the Islamic profession of faith, his voice rising above the commotion within the execution chamber.

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Then came his final six words.

“The Muslim Ummah will be victorious.”

Before he could utter anything further, the trapdoor gave way, and an audible crack resonated as he dropped. Death was confirmed moments afterwards.

Whilst official Iraqi government footage depicted him solely in the seconds preceding his execution, stopping short before the fatal moment, a poor-quality mobile phone clip, covertly recorded inside the chamber, subsequently emerged on the internet.

The recording showed the complete hanging, the sectarian abuse and Hussein’s last defiant words, triggering worldwide condemnation and controversy surrounding the manner of his death.

Hours later, his remains were transported by helicopter to Al-Awja near Tikrit, his birthplace, where he was laid to rest alongside his two sons.

EXCLUSIVE: The former Labour PM used his influence to support Starmer as he faced calls to quit.

Gordon Brown helped save Keir Starmer after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called on the Prime Minister to quit.

The Labour heavyweight shored up support for the ailing PM as he faced an early exit from Downing Street.

One source said: “Gordon was clear Keir should be given a chance.”

Sarwar used a dramatic press conference in Glasgow last month to urge Starmer to stand down.

He accused his one-time ally of making too many mistakes and of leading a Government that is “not good enough”.

The quit call sent shockwaves through Labour and was a moment of peril for the Prime Minister.

But Starmer’s position was secured by the end of the day after he received public declarations of support from Cabinet ministers.

And only two Scottish Labour MPs came out to support Sarwar – despite a number of others agreeing with him.

The Record understands Brown, who was Prime Minister between 2007 and 2010, played an important role behind the scenes.

READ MORE: Alba Party spent ‘£50,000 on flights’ for Alex Salmond in just two yearsREAD MORE: John Swinney “deeply concerned” over Iran conflict and questions legality of air strikes

He is said to have privately urged Labour figures to back Starmer in his time of need.

One Labour source said the rebellion, particularly in Scotland, would have been greater had Brown not got involved:

“Gordon is hugely respected in the party and people listen to him.”

A second insider said Brown’s pro-Starmer stance was likely influenced by some of his colleagues trying to oust him when he was PM.

Months before the 2010 general election, former Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon plotted to remove Brown, but the attempt failed.

It comes after Brown, who was also Chancellor between 1997 and 2007, helped influence Rachel Reeves’ last Budget.

He had been pushing the Government to scrap the two child benefit cap and introduce a tax on gambling profits, both of which were announced by Reeves.

He has also launched his own investigations into the activities of billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

Brown wrote to six police forces demanding a probe into whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor used taxpayer-funded jets and RAF bases during his time as trade envoy to meet Epstein.

He has also been highly critical of Peter Mandelson, who served in his administration, for leaking confidential Government information to Epstein.

An SNP source said: “It’s hard not to feel a bit sorry for Anas Sarwar – he’s way out of his depth and this embarrassing episode just keeps getting more toe curling by the day.

“The only people backing his coup were Jackie Baillie, Davy Russell and a couple of MSPs – you could fit that rabble in the back of his swanky motor.

“Gordon Brown once said he saved the world, he could have at least tried to save Anas Sarwar some dignity.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “Labour are too weak to stand up to the failing SNP government because of the civil war tearing their party apart.

“Anas Sarwar is desperate to wash his hands of Keir Starmer, despite fighting tooth and nail to put the hopeless PM in Downing Street, but his attempted putsch has been ignored by colleagues and undermined by Gordon Brown.”

A spokesperson for Brown was approached for comment. Scottish Labour declined to comment.

Air travel in the region has been severely disrupted since Saturday (February 28), with thousands of flights cancelled.

US and Israeli forces attacked Iran on Saturday morning in what the two countries described as a “pre-emptive” strike against a Tehran government intent on developing nuclear weapons.

This prompted retaliation from Iran, with missiles hitting countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Israel.

The latest travel advice information for British nationals in the Middle East: https://t.co/AB8rEGx5TQ

This includes countries with updated travel advice and links to Register Your Presence. pic.twitter.com/RPBHw0mILU

— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) March 1, 2026

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday (March 2) there were an estimated 300,000 British citizens in Gulf countries.

Many Brits remain stranded, but a limited number of flights to the UK have been operating out of Dubai as UAE airspace has partially reopened under restricted corridors.

Dubai Airports said a passenger advisory on Monday: “Limited airport operations have resumed today (March 2) with a small number of flights operating from DXB and DWC.

“Passengers must not travel to the airport unless they have received a confirmed departure time directly from their airline, as schedules remain subject to change.

“If you have received a confirmed departure flight from your airline, please also check which terminal your flight is departing from.”

Is Emirates flying to Dubai?

In a statement on its travel updates page , Emirates shared that scheduled flights to and from Dubai are suspended for the moment.

This will remain in place until 11.59pm UAE time (7.95pm GMT) on Wednesday, March 4.

All scheduled Emirates flights to and from Dubai remain suspended until 2359hrs UAE time on 4 March, due to airspace closures across the region.

Emirates continues to operate a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights on 3 and 4 March. We are accommodating… pic.twitter.com/rNFG3mDovl

— Emirates Support (@EmiratesSupport) March 3, 2026

They added: “Emirates continues to operate a limited number of passenger repatriation and freighter flights on 3 and 4 March. 

“We are accommodating customers with earlier bookings as a priority on these limited flights.

“Please do not go to the airport unless you have been notified directly by Emirates, or hold a confirmed booking for these flights.”

The airline added that it will continue to monitor the situation and will update its operations schedule if need be.

If you’ve been affected by a flight cancellation, you can rebook on another flight to your intended destination for travel on or before Friday, March 20.

Alternatively, you can request a refund of your ticket if your booking is on or before Tuesday, March 10, by completing the refund form on the website here .

Recommended reading:

What have other airlines done for Dubai flights?

British Airways cancelled its timetabled flights to London Heathrow from Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha and Dubai at the time of writing.

Passengers with bookings on certain routes up to Sunday, March 15, are being allowed to amend the date to fly on or before Sunday, March 29.

What is the government’s advice on flying to Dubai?

The Foreign Office has advised against all but essential travel to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar.

There have been no changes in Huntley’s condition since he was attacked five days ago

The Soham murderer Ian Huntley is still “seriously ill” in hospital after being attacked in a maximum security prison five days ago. Huntley was attacked by an inmate with a metal bar in the workshop at HMP Frankland, near Durham on Thursday, February 26.

Durham Constabulary confirmed today (Tuesday, March 3) that there had been no changes in the 52-year-old’s condition. The force said: “There has been no change in the 52-year-old man’s condition overnight – he remains in hospital in a serious condition.”

After the attack, Huntley’s daughter Samantha Bryan, 27, told The Sun that “there’s a special place in hell waiting for him”. The former caretaker was given a life sentence which recommended he serve at least 40 years in prison for the murder of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman on August 4 2002, PA reports.

It has been reported that triple killer Anthony Russell had shouted “I’ve done it, I’ve done it” after Huntley was attacked. The force has not confirmed the identity of the suspect but has said a man in his mid-40s was detained.

Russell was given a whole-life sentence after murdering Julie Williams, 58, her son David Williams, 32, and pregnant 31-year-old Nicole McGregor. Russell had also raped Ms McGregor.

This marks the second attack on Huntley, after his neck was slashed by Damien Fowkes using a home-made weapon, which left him needing 21 stitches. After the attack, Fowkes asked a prison officer: “Is he dead? I hope so.”

He had described Huntley as a “notorious child killer, both inside prison and in society in general”.

The men were given a Criminal Behaviour Order and had to pay compensation to the landowners.

Two men have been found guilty of attending a hare coursing event in Cambridgeshire. Roy Lee, 27, of Barrowby Vale, Grantham, and Sam Sheady, 46, of Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Clwyd, were found guilty of attending a hare coursing event on January 25, 2025.

At Peterborough Magistrates’ Court today (Tuesday, March 3), the men were issued a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBOs). The CBO prohibits them from entering or being present on any part of private or agricultural land within England and Wales, without the written permission of the owner, which can be presented to an officer upon request.

The order also prohibits them from driving any vehicle with a sighthound breed dog, whilst outside of a five mile radius of his home address, unless for a pre-arranged veterinary appointment, proof of appointment to be provided to an officer upon request and except when travelling to and from the land the defendant owns or rents and must provide written proof of ownership or rental agreement to present to any police officer if required.

Both of the men must also pay compensation to landowners in the sum of £1,000 each. Lee was also fined £200.

The conviction follows a large investigation into hare coursing and associated criminal activity that took place on Saturday, January 25 2025. The incident affected multiple communities in Cambridgeshire including Fordham, Ely, Prickwillow, Littleport, Welney, Chatteris, March, Wimblington and Doddington.

The investigation was supported by multiple police forces and national crime units. It resulted in 43 arrests and 25 individuals being charged with a total of 39 offences.

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