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The Iran War blog
Why Republicans Said the Iran Deal Should Have Been a TreatyThe 2015 Iran agreement raised a constitutional question and a strategic one. The administration's best case, then the answer from the Treaty Clause.When Sanctions Worked, When They Failed, and Why the Difference MattersFive sanctions campaigns, one scorecard: what the winners shared, why the losers fizzled, and a checklist for the next time Washington reaches for the button.From the Shah to the Hostages, the Real History of America and IranIran's hostility to America is written into its founding. A dated history from 1953 to 2020 answers the claim that it is all our fault and credits what is fair.How Republican presidents asked Congress for war powers from Formosa to IraqRepublican presidents have sometimes acted alone and sometimes asked Congress to vote. A table of the resolutions shows when each approach was used.Who Decides on War? The Constitution, the 1973 Law and the Gray ZoneThe Constitution splits war powers between Congress and the president, and practice blurred the line. Here is the story in order, with both best arguments.Who Declares War? What the Founders Meant and Where We DriftedThe Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Since 1950 the practice has drifted toward the president. The text, the founders' fights, and the fix.The War Powers Resolution Explained, and Why Presidents Resist ItPassed over Nixon's veto in 1973, the law has never worked as written. How the 48-hour report and the 60-day clock operate, and what Congress can really do.