WASHINGTON \u2013 The White House asserted to Congress in a letter Friday that hostilities with Iran have \u201cterminated\u201d despite the continued presence of U.S. armed forces in the region.<\/p>\n
The message from President Donald Trump effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with Iran. That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the president. <\/p>\n
The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of Trump\u2019s war, which he began without congressional approval two months ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,\u201d Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate president pro tempore.<\/p>\n
Yet he also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over. <\/p>\n
\u201cDespite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,\u201d the Republican president said.<\/p>\n
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973<\/a>, Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days \u2014 Friday was the deadline \u2014 or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension. This Congress made no attempt at enforcing that requirement, leaving town Thursday for a week after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.<\/p>\n Some GOP senators are growing uneasy about the war\u2019s timeline, which Trump initially said would last a few weeks. But Trump’s letter showed how the president continues to forego congressional approval. It contends the deadlines set by the law do not apply because the war in Iran<\/a> effectively ended when a shaky ceasefire began in early April.<\/p>\n The Republican debate over the war<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he did not plan on a vote to authorize force in Iran<\/a> or otherwise weigh in.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don\u2019t see that,\u201d Thune said.<\/p>\n The reluctance to defy Trump on the war comes at a politically perilous time for Republicans, with public frustration<\/a> mounting both over the conflict and its impact on gas prices. Still, most GOP lawmakers say they are supportive of Trump\u2019s wartime leadership or are at least willing to give him more time amid the fragile ceasefire. <\/p>\n Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he would vote for an authorization of war if Trump asked for it. But Cramer questioned whether the resolution passed during the Vietnam War era, as a way for Congress to claw back its power, was constitutional. <\/p>\n \u201cOur founders created a really strong executive, like it or not like it,\u201d Cramer said. <\/p>\n Some GOP senators did make it clear that they eventually want Congress to have a say.<\/p>\n Indiana Sen. Todd Young said in a statement that lawmakers \u201cmust ensure that the people, through their elected representatives, weigh in on whether to send our military into combat.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that since the Trump administration is stating that \u201cthe Iran conflict has ceased, there should be no hostilities moving forward,\u201d and that if the conflict resumes, he expects the White House to work with Congress to pass an authorization for use of military force.<\/p>\n Some Republicans signal they want a vote <\/p>\n A handful of GOP senators have said for weeks that Congress should assert its authority over the war at some point. One of those, Maine’s Susan Collins, voted for the first time with Democrats<\/a> on Thursday to halt the war. She said in a statement that she wants to see a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close. <\/p>\n \u201cThe president\u2019s authority as commander in chief is not without limits,” Collins said, adding that the 60-day deadline is \u201cnot a suggestion, it is a requirement.” <\/p>\n In addition to Collins and Young, Republican Sens. John Curtis of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Josh Hawley of Missouri, among others, have said they would eventually like to see a vote. <\/p>\n Curtis said he would not support continued funding for the war until Congress votes to authorize it. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is time for decision-making from both the administration and from Congress \u2014 and that can happen in league with one another, not in conflict,\u201d Curtis said. <\/p>\n Thune suggested the White House step up its outreach to lawmakers with briefings and hearings<\/a> if it wants continued support from Capitol Hill. <\/p>\n \u201cObviously, getting readouts from our military leadership on a somewhat regular basis, I think, will be helpful in terms of shaping the views of our members about how comfortable they are with everything that\u2019s happening there, and the direction headed forward,\u201d Thune said. <\/p>\n Administration argues the deadline doesn’t apply <\/p>\n With the 60-day window under the War Powers Resolution expiring Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth<\/a> said during a congressional hearing Thursday, \u201cWe are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means, the 60-day clock pauses or stops.\u201d<\/p>\n