“The Constitution requires Congress to authorise acts of war. … We swore an oath to follow the Constitution. If we believe this is a just military action and I do, then we should authorise it,” Senator Chris Murphy, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East subcommittee, said at a hearing looking at the military action.

Murphy said he would be in talks with his colleagues to introduce such an authorisation.

Senator Ben Cardin, who chairs the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also said the Biden administration should be seeking congressional authorisation.

“The administration should be seeking our authority. It’s our responsibility to respond,” Cardin said.

The US has been carrying out near-daily strikes against the Iran-linked Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen and have said their attacks on shipping are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday that its strikes, which started in January, have so far destroyed or degraded 150 missiles and launchers along with radars, weapons storage areas and drones.

The strikes have so far failed to halt the Houthis’ attacks, which have upset global trade and raised shipping rates.

The US Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the right to authorise war, but provisions in US law give the White House the authority to launch limited foreign military action.