'No more war criminal in the White House,' says US Senator Markey

US Sen. Ed Markey on Tuesday called for urgent action to remove President Donald Trump from office, describing the president as “completely unstable and dangerous.”

"I'm sure you've seen Donald Trump's unhinged post from this morning. He is completely unstable and dangerous," Markey said in a video message posted on US social media company X.

His remarks came after Trump had given Iran a deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and get oil and gas supplies flowing again by 8 pm Eastern Time (0000GMT Wednesday); if not, he threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again."

Markey warned that a war powers resolution alone would be insufficient to curb what he called the president’s “illegal war in Iran.”

"Here's what needs to happen immediately: The House must come back into session to bring up and pass articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, then the Senate needs to remove him from office.

"A war powers resolution is not enough. Yes, we need to assert congressional authority and stop this illegal war in Iran, but Trump is clearly a war hungry madman at odds with the American people. Impeachment is the top priority. No more war criminal in the White House."

Several lawmakers on Tuesday urged that Trump be either impeached or declared unfit for office under the 25th Amendment.

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment authorizes the vice president, together with a majority of the Cabinet (or another congressionally designated body), to determine that the president "is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."

If such a declaration is made here, then the vice president shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as acting president.

The entire region has been on alert since Israel and the US launched a weeks-long offensive against Iran on Feb. 28.

Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, causing casualties and damage to infrastructure while disrupting global markets and aviation.