Trump administration says hostilities in Iran ‘terminated’ ahead of war powers deadline | US-Israel war on Iran

A senior Trump administration official said Thursday that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, which began in early April, “ended” hostilities between the two sides as Congress approached a deadline for war powers.

Donald Trump faces a deadline Friday to end the Iran war or ask Congress for an extension, but that deadline will likely pass without changing the course of the war.

Explaining the administration’s opinion, the official said, “For the purpose of resolving war powers, the hostilities that started on Saturday, February 28, have ended.” There have been no clashes between US armed forces and Iran since the fragile ceasefire began more than three weeks ago, the official added.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must end his military campaign after a 60-day period unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. Analysts and congressional aides had previously said they expected Trump to notify Congress that he planned a 30-day extension or ignore the deadline; The administration claimed that the ceasefire had ended the conflict.

But defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who testified earlier on Capitol Hill, said the 60-day period was actually paused due to the current ceasefire. Mr Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee: “We are currently in a ceasefire and our understanding is that the 60-day clock will pause or pause in the ceasefire.” Democrats and critics have expressed concern about the comment, such as Yale Law School professor Harold Hongju Koh, legal counsel to Barack Obama’s State Department: I tell the New York Times: “There is no pause button in the Battle Power Solution.”

It’s a politically dangerous time for Republicans as public frustration grows over conflict and gas prices.

Republican Senate majority leader John Thune said he was not planning a vote on authorizing or otherwise weighing the use of force on Iran. “I’ve been listening carefully to what members of our conference are saying, and at this point I just don’t see it,” he said Thursday.

Republican senator Kevin Cramer said he would vote for a war authorization if Trump requested it, but he questioned whether the war powers resolution, which was adopted during the Vietnam War as a way for Congress to take back its power, was constitutional.

Another Republican, Lisa Murkowski, said Thursday that she would switch to limited-authority use of military force when the Senate returns from a week-long recess if the administration does not yet have what she calls a “credible plan.”

“I don’t believe we should engage in an open-ended military action without clear accountability,” Murkowski said. “Congress has a role”

Other Republicans have said in recent weeks they want to see a vote eventually.

Against this increasingly fraught backdrop, the Republican-led Senate on Thursday again blocked a Democratic attempt to stop Trump’s war in Iran, rejecting a war powers resolution that would limit the conflict until Congress authorizes more military action.

The vote was 47-50; two Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky — voted in favor and one Democrat — John Fetterman of Pennsylvania — opposed it.

This was the sixth time this year that Democrats have forced a vote on a war-related war powers resolution. All failed, mostly along party lines.

Adam Schiff, the author of the resolution, said Thursday’s vote was critical. Friday marked 60 days since the Trump administration notified Congress that it had launched an attack on Iran.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must end his military campaign after a 60-day period unless Congress declares war or authorizes the use of military force. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, testifying on Capitol Hill earlier, said the 60-day period was paused due to the current ceasefire with Iran, but Democrats and critics expressed concern about that comment.

The U.S. Constitution says only Congress, not the president, can declare war, but the restriction does not apply to operations that the administration characterizes as countering a short-term or immediate threat.

Trump’s Republican party has a slim majority in both houses of Congress.

Earlier this month, the House narrowly rejected another war powers resolution aimed at blocking military action in Iran. The resolution, introduced by Greg Meeks, the top Democrat on the House foreign relations committee, failed by a vote of 213-214, with one Republican member voting. Since equality of votes could not be achieved in the parliament, at least two more votes were required for approval.

Three congressmen who voted against the previous resolution in March — Henry Cuellar of Texas, Greg Landsman of Ohio and Juan Vargas of California — voted in favor of the initiative, in a sign that Democrats were strengthening against the war. Jared Golden of Maine was the only Democrat to vote in opposition, and Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only Republican to vote in favor of passage. Warren Davidson of Ohio cast a present ballot after voting in favor last month.

via Reuters and Associated Press