US President Donald Trump’s administration said the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began last month, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.
The statement furthers an argument laid out by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during testimony in the US Senate on Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war.
Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.
Photo: AFP
While the ceasefire has since been extended, Iran maintains its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, and the US navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.
Many Republicans who have been uneasy with Trump’s war in Iran emphasized yesterday’s deadline for Congress to intervene, but the date passed with no action from Republican lawmakers who continue to defer to the White House.
The Trump administration has shown no interest in seeking congressional approval at all and said the deadlines do not apply because the war in Iran effectively ended when a ceasefire began.
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress must declare war or authorize the use of force within 60 days — the deadline of which was yesterday — or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension.
However, the Congress made no attempt at enforcing that requirement, leaving town for a week on Thursday after the US Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.
A senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28, have terminated.”
The US military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began, they added.
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