On February 28, President Donald Trump authorized military strikes against Iran. It has now been over 60 days since the first bombs fell.
Legally, that means Trump must either cease operations or get permission from Congress to continue. Instead, he split the difference: continuing operations while simply saying they’ve ended.
In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution. Though the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power “to declare war,” the War Powers Resolution enshrined into law the president’s ability to deploy troops “into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances.” In return, he must wrap things up within 60 days, unless Congress votes to continue the operation.
Trump notified the Senate in writing on March 2, and May 1 marks 60 days. That means Trump must either immediately withdraw or ask Congress for more time.
Lawmakers, even those in his own party, expressed hesitation at extending hostilities. “From the beginning, my position has been that the President’s actions in Iran have been consistent with his legal authority under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. However, that same law is clear that after 60 days, military action must begin to wind down unless Congress provides formal authorization,” Sen. John Curtis (R–Utah) said in a statement. “I will not support continued funding for the use of force without Congress weighing in.”
“I do not believe we should engage in open-ended military action without clear accountability,” added Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R–Alaska). “Congress has a role.”
On Friday, the administration announced it did not have to seek Congress’ approval because the fighting was over.
“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump said in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–La.) and Senate President pro tempore Chuck Grassley (R–Iowa), according to the Associated Press.
But “despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace,” he added, “the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant.”
The administration had previously used a version of this argument, saying ever since the April 7 ceasefire, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated.”
On Thursday, just one day before the end of the War Powers Resolution window, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that “our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”
But even if U.S. and Iranian forces are not currently exchanging gunfire, each side is enforcing a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz; Trump has said the U.S. will continue to do so until Iran abandons its nuclear weapons program.
Besides, in his letter to Congress, Trump left open the possibility of future conflict; would the clock start over at that time, giving Trump another 60 days to do what he wants, without Congress?
This would be a perfect time for Congress to act in its capacity as a coequal branch of government and conduct some basic oversight: If Trump says combat operations are “terminated,” then they should vote to rescind all funding for any such operations without congressional approval.
But who’s going to do that? On Friday, before Trump had even submitted the letter, the House and Senate started a weeklong recess.
It’s clear Trump has no interest in actually drawing down operations. The War Powers Resolution allows him to request an additional 30 days if he “determines and certifies to the Congress in writing that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces.”
Instead of taking the extra 30 days to finish whatever job he thinks he’s carrying out and bring all U.S. forces home, he is simply pretending to have already done so.
The Framers gave the president and Congress separate war powers for a reason: “The sword is in the hands of the British King. The purse in the hands of the Parliament. It is so in America,” wrote James Madison. “The purse is in the hands of the representatives of the people. They have the appropriation of all monies. They have the direction and regulation of land and naval forces. They are to provide for calling forth the militia—and the president is to have the command.”
