Iranian President Hassan Rohani threatened the U.S. with a “crushing response” this week. But his anger was not directed against what you probably saw in the news.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s rare veto is what made headlines. He’s only done it 7 times to date. The Senate then easily sustained his veto, which requires a 2/3 vote to override.

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At issue was a controversial joint resolution passed in February that would have required Trump to “terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran” unless Congress authorized military action. There was also a caveat for self-defense against an “imminent attack.”

Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced the resolution in January after the Trump administration’s successful strike on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. It picked up steam following Iran’s retaliatory missile strike on U.S. forces in Iraq and eventually passed when 8 Republicans joined Democrats in moving it out of the Senate. The Democrat-controlled House then sent it on to the President’s desk.

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President Trump declared the resolution was pointless because it “rests upon a faulty premise.” In other words, there has been no escalation to open conflict. Moreover, Trump called the resolution “dangerous” if it would tie the hands of the President as he attempts to fulfill his duties to protect the nation per Article II of the U.S. Constitution.

That back-and-forth earned prime billing this week, and it is certainly an instructive case study for politics and the fundamental dynamics of American national government. However, it is not what triggered the Iranian president’s “crushing response” threat.

Rohani actually was responding to an act of unified resolve — a bipartisan letter bolstering Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s work to deter Iranian aggression.

The top leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — Reps. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — led a group of 387 Members of Congress in urging Pompeo to ensure a United Nations arms embargo on Iran does not expire. Currently, the ban on trading weapons with the regime is set to end in October.  Extending the embargo would face an uphill fight, especially since Russia and China — both with permanent seats on the UN Security Council — appear opposed to prolonging it (and reportedly may actually benefit from new arms contracts). However, the Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on the matter.

The letter from more than three-quarters of the U.S. House (notably including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)) undergirds Pompeo’s efforts. These Members of Congress know that Iran being able to freely upgrade its arsenal and to legally sell armaments is dangerous for the world. Indeed, as it is now, they note, “Iran’s illicit transfers of weapons directly contribute to some of the most destabilizing threats to the United States and our partners in the Middle East such as Israel and the Gulf States.”

Pray for Secretary of State Pompeo! You can post a prayer for him on the IFApray.org home page HERE.

The vetoed war powers resolution is where headlines are today — and that is a serious debate.  However, it seems that foreboding storm clouds are forming around the UN arms embargo fight. I have no doubt America and its allies would benefit from prayers for wisdom and favor right now in the face of such a perilous threat.

The Lord is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? (Psalm 27:1)

Aaron Mercer is a Contributing Writer with two decades of experience in Washington, D.C.’s public policy arena and Christian associations. A seasoned strategist, he aids organizations with research, analysis, and writing services, and he reflects on faith, technology, and the public square at FTPolicy.com.