WASHINGTON/TEHRAN/BEIRUT/KUWAIT CITY – The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to restrict President Donald Trump's authority to continue military operations against Iran, with four Republicans joining Democrats.

The resolution, which passed by a 215-208 vote, directed Trump to withdraw US forces from the conflict against Iran unless Congress authorizes further military action.

The vote came after three previous war powers resolutions failed in the House by slim margins. In the Senate, seven similar attempts have also failed.

Even if the measure passes both chambers, it would almost certainly be vetoed by Trump.

Recovering nuclear material

Addressing reporters at the White House, Trump said talks with Iran are going "very well" and "as of this moment", Tehran has agreed to allow US personnel, in coordination with Iranian authorities, to enter Iran and recover buried nuclear material once the conflict ends.

"It's very, very hard to get it ... but nevertheless, I want to get at it," Trump said.

Despite recent strikes in the region, he said that the US-Iran ceasefire taking effect in early April remains in place, suggesting that it is possible an interim deal could be reached "over the weekend" as the ongoing talks are advancing.

ALSO READ: CENTCOM: US forces hit Iran's Qeshm Island after Iranian attacks

"The negotiation itself has gone very well - actually, very well - even if it happens, and it might not happen, but if it happens, it could happen like over the weekend," Trump said.

"A ceasefire there is much different than a ceasefire in other parts of the world," he said. "You know, I'd say in that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you're shooting in a more moderate manner."

Hormuz management legislation

Meanwhile, a proposed bill on the management of the Strait of Hormuz has entered the review stage at Iran's Supreme National Security Council and will be submitted to parliament for debate and voting after final conclusions are reached, Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency reported.

No details about the bill's contents were disclosed.

According to the report, work on the legislation has been underway for some time. In addition to the parliamentary review process, several specialized parliamentary committees have participated in studying and assessing the proposal, including the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, the Construction Committee, and the Councils and Internal Affairs Committee.

US attacks on oil tanker, communications tower

Also on Wednesday, Iran's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned overnight US attacks on an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz and a communications tower on the southern Qeshm Island, describing them as acts of aggression and a violation of international law.

In a statement, the ministry said the strikes flagrantly violated an April ceasefire between Iran and the United States, as well as the United Nations Charter's prohibition on the use of force against sovereign states.

ALSO READ: Iran says it fires missile at ship linked to US, Israel

It denounced the United States' "colonial" use of regional countries' territories and facilities to advance "aggressive" plans against Iran, highlighting the "direct and clear" responsibility of Kuwait and Bahrain for the latest US attacks.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) said earlier Wednesday that the US military hit an Iranian oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday night and damaged its engine room, and also struck an IRGC communications tower on Qeshm Island.

Iran to respond if Israel attacks Beirut

In an interview broadcast by Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran would respond if Israel attacks Beirut, saying Tehran has informed all parties that it will not tolerate an assault on the Lebanese capital and that such a move could trigger a return to conflict.

Araghchi accused Israel of violating the ceasefire in both Iran and Lebanon in recent days, adding that Iran considers the fate of Lebanon and Iran inseparable in the current conflict, and that any ceasefire or settlement must encompass both countries.

He said communications between Tehran and Washington have continued through exchanged messages, though no major progress has been made. He added that both sides are reviewing texts that have been exchanged and working toward a final formulation.

He reiterated that Iran seeks "peace and security based on dignity and honor" and does not seek conflict, stressing that Tehran has responded positively to requests for negotiations.

IRGC targets US destroyer

In a statement published by its official outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said its navy has targeted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman that sought to approach Iranian territorial waters.

The IRGC said its navy tracked US "aggressive actions, violations of the regulations of the Strait of Hormuz and malicious acts against Iranian commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman", identified the command center aboard a US destroyer, and struck it.

The IRGC said its navy is closely watching US and Israeli "enemies" and will respond instantly to any hostile move.

The US Central Command later denied the claim on social media platform X, saying US military assets at sea continue to operate "safely and unimpeded".

Separately, the IRGC denied firing any missile or drone at a passenger terminal at Kuwait International Airport, saying the damage to the terminal was caused by a malfunctioning US Patriot missile system, according to Sepah News.

On Wednesday, Kuwait summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires, expelled two Iranian diplomats and reduced the size of Iran's diplomatic mission in the country, reiterating its territory and airspace were not used to attack "any country".

ALSO READ: US, Iran exchange strikes amid ongoing peace efforts

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on social media platform X that Deputy Foreign Minister Hamad Sulaiman Al-Mashaan handed an official protest note to Hamid Yaqoubi Far, chargé d'affaires of the Iranian Embassy in Kuwait, over the ongoing attacks.

The ministry said Kuwait had declared two members of the Iranian diplomatic mission persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 24 hours.

Al-Mashaan said the decision was taken in response to what he described as "continued and blatant" attacks involving ballistic missiles and drones, which he said violated Kuwait's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as international law and relevant UN resolutions.