The Trump administration has asserted that the war in Iran has effectively ended due to the ceasefire initiated in early April, a stance that allows the White House to sidestep the requirement for congressional approval. This argument was reinforced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during his Senate testimony on Thursday, where he stated that the ceasefire had effectively paused hostilities. Under this interpretation, the administration has not triggered the 60-day clock mandated by the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires formal congressional authorization for prolonged military engagements.
Administration's Position on Hostilities
A senior administration official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution, the hostilities that commenced on Saturday, February 28, have now been terminated. The official noted that no exchanges of fire have occurred between the US military and Iran since the two-week ceasefire began on April 7. Although the ceasefire has been extended, Iran continues to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, while the US Navy enforces a blockade to prevent Iranian oil tankers from accessing international waters.
Congressional and Legal Perspectives
Under the War Powers Resolution, President Donald Trump faced a deadline of Friday to seek congressional authorization or cease military action. The law also permits a 30-day extension. Democrats have been pressing the administration to obtain formal approval for the Iran war, and the 60-day mark was expected to be a critical juncture for many Republican lawmakers who supported initial action but insisted on congressional input for extended operations. Senator Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, emphasized that the deadline is not optional but a legal requirement. She voted in favor of a measure to end military action in Iran without congressional approval, stating that any further military action must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for concluding the conflict.
Richard Goldberg, former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction at the National Security Council during Trump's first term, recommended that the administration transition to a new operation, potentially named "Epic Passage," as a sequel to Operation Epic Fury. He described this new mission as inherently defensive, focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz while reserving the right to offensive actions to restore freedom of navigation. Goldberg, now a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, believes this approach resolves the legal and strategic challenges.
During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth expressed the administration's understanding that the 60-day clock was paused during the ceasefire. However, Katherine Yon Ebright, counsel at the Brennan Center's Liberty and National Security Program and a war powers expert, dismissed this interpretation as a significant expansion of previous legal maneuvers related to the 1973 law. She stated unequivocally that nothing in the text or design of the War Powers Resolution allows for pausing or terminating the 60-day clock. While past presidents have argued that their military actions were not intense or continuous enough to trigger the resolution, Ebright noted that the Iran war does not fit such a description. She urged lawmakers to challenge the administration's stance vigorously.
