Senate fails to override Trump veto on Yemen war

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has failed to overturn President Donald Trump’s veto of legislation that would have ended U.S. military assistance for the Saudi-led war in Yemen against Iran-backed rebels.

Congress has grown uneasy with Trump’s close relationship with Saudi Arabia as he seeks to further isolate Iran. But the Senate’s 53-45 vote to override the veto fell short of the required two-thirds.

The U.S. is providing logistical support and intelligence-sharing for a war that’s killed thousands of civilians and left millions more on the brink of famine.

When explaining the veto , the White House said that support doesn’t constitute engaging in hostilities.

Opposition to the war gained strength in Congress last year after Saudi agents killed Jamal Khashoggi, a commentator who’d lived in the U.S. and written critically about the kingdom.