Warren Davidson

The House on Thursday failed to adopt a war powers resolution that attempted to curtail President Donald Trump's military actions in Iran.

It failed by a vote of 212-219. Republican Reps. Thomas Massie and Warren Davidson bucked GOP leaders by voting in favor; four Democrats voted against the resolution, including Reps. Greg Landsman, Henry Cuellar and Jared Golden.

Senate fails to advance Iran war powers resolution

The resolution, which only expresses the sentiment of Congress, called on the president to terminate the use of U.S. armed forces in hostilities against Iran or any part of the Iranian government or military unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force is enacted.

It came after recent U.S. strikes on Iran that killed several Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran.

The measure was non-binding and not subject to the president's signature or veto.

Speaker Mike Johnson argued Wednesday that the United States is "not at war" but only engaged in a "defensive operation" in Iran.

“We're not at war right now,” Johnson told reporters at the Capitol. “We're in -- four days into a very specific, clear mission and operation."

Later on Wednesday, Trump contradicted Johnson, repeatedly referring to the conflict in Iran as a "war" hours after Johnson said it wasn't.

Iran live updates

Sitting next to Johnson during a roundtable on energy prices, Trump said "we're doing very well on -- on the war front, to put it mildly."

Johnson had said that the "passage of a war powers resolution right now would be a terrible, dangerous idea."

"It would empower our enemies. It would kneecap our own forces, and it would take the ability of the U.S. military and the commander in chief away from completing this critical mission to keep everybody safe," he said Wednesday.

Trump administration's mixed messaging on war with Iran: ANALYSIS