U.S. President Donald Trump declared that a ceasefire had "terminated" hostilities against Iran, as he sought to bolster his argument that he does not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
In a letter to congressional leaders on Friday, the deadline to come to Congress about the war, Trump said there has been no exchange of fire with Iran since the ceasefire. "The hostilities that began on 28 February, 2026, have terminated," he said.
Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a U.S. president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it, asking Congress for authorisation or seeking a 30-day extension due to "unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces" while withdrawing forces.
On Friday, Iranian state news agency IRNA said Tehran had sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the U.S. to Pakistani mediators. Trump swiftly rejected it.
The president formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours after the first airstrikes two months ago, starting the 60-day clock that ends 1 May.
As the date approached, congressional aides and analysts said they expected the Republican president to sidestep the deadline. A senior Trump administration official had said on Thursday the administration's view was that the war powers law deadline did not apply.
Trump said he considered the war powers law unconstitutional. Both Republican and Democratic presidents have contended the measure violated the Constitution because it sets limits on the president's powers as commander-in-chief. Legal experts say the matter has not been decided by the courts.
"We had a ceasefire, so that gives you additional time," Trump said before leaving Washington for Florida.
Congressional Democrats, who have tried repeatedly to pass war powers legislation that would force Trump to end the war or come to Congress for authorisation, dismissed that characterisation, saying there was nothing in the 1973 law allowing for a ceasefire.
They also said that the continuing deployment of U.S. ships blockading Iranian oil exports was evidence of continuing hostility, not a ceasefire.
“After sixty days of conflict, President Trump still does not have a strategy or way out for this poorly planned war," Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.
In his letter to Congress, Trump acknowledged that the conflict may not be resolved. He said Iran still poses a "significant" threat to the United States and its armed forces.
Trump's fellow Republicans, who hold slim majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives and rarely break from Trump, have voted almost unanimously to block every resolution seeking to end the conflict.
Polls show the war is unpopular among Americans, six months before November elections that will determine who controls Congress next year.
The U.S. Constitution says only Congress, not the president, can declare war, but that restriction does not apply to short-term operations or to counter an immediate threat.
On Thursday, Trump received a briefing on plans for fresh military strikes to compel Iran to negotiate an end to the conflict.
If fighting resumes, Trump can tell lawmakers he has started a new 60-day clock. Presidents from both parties have repeatedly done so when waging intermittent hostilities since Congress passed the war powers law in response to the Vietnam War.
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Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the U.S. President and his Deputy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran has “no trust” in the United States and will only consider negotiations if Washington shows seriousness. His remarks came as talks on Iran’s nuclear programme continued, with Trump and Xi also opposing Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
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Pakistan has deployed around 8,000 troops, fighter jets and air defence systems to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence agreement, according to security officials and government sources familiar with the arrangement.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Two Chinese tankers laden with oil exited the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, shipping data showed, brightening hopes that the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran may soon be resolved after positive comments from the U.S. President and his Deputy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained committed to reaching a diplomatic settlement with the U.S. while continuing to strengthen its defensive capabilities amid ongoing regional tensions.
Finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) have urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to increase support for countries hardest hit by the conflict in the Middle East.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he had paused a planned attack on Iran after Tehran sent a peace proposal to Washington. He said there was now a “very good chance” of reaching a deal to limit Iran’s nuclear programme.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and German counterpart Johann Wadephul said Monday that Ankara and Berlin are both keen to deepen strategic cooperation.
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