Follow the latest news on the Iran war
US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed that the war in Iran is “terminated”, as he looks to circumvent a congressional deadline that requires him to request authorisation for the conflict.
Under the US Constitution, a president is allowed to start military action through his powers as commander-in-chief, but a 1973 law called the War Powers Resolution means Mr Trump was supposed to seek congressional approval or a formal declaration of war within 60 days.
That deadline lapsed on Friday. Mr Trump wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate leader Chuck Grassley, arguing that the 60-day clock had stopped ticking because of the ceasefire that began on April 7.
“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Mr Trump said in the letter.
Democrats say his claim is incorrect and that there is no provision under the War Powers Resolution to stop the clock in the event of a ceasefire. Additionally, the US Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports and thousands of US troops remain in the Gulf.
Democrats argue that the war was illegal to start with, as Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the US. That unlawfulness has only deepened since the expiration of the 60-day deadline, Democrats say.
“After 60 days of conflict, President Trump still does not have a strategy or way out for this poorly planned war,” Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement, calling the deadline “a clear legal threshold” for Mr Trump to act.
Iran on Friday submitted a new proposal for further negotiations with the US to end the war – an offer that Mr Trump soon rejected.
Iranian state media reported that the proposal was sent through mediator Pakistan, which last month hosted the only round of negotiations between the two sides so far.
“They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens,” Mr Trump said. “They're asking for things I can't agree to.”
Despite his claim that hostilities are “terminated”, there remains a strong possibility the war could resume at any time, especially as Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to drag on the world's economy.
In his letter to congressional leaders, Mr Trump said the Pentagon is updating its force posture in some countries in the region “as necessary and appropriate, to address Iranian and Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners".
Mr Trump told reporters that the US retains military options but that he preferred diplomacy.
“Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever or do we want to try and make a deal? … On a human basis, I'd prefer [a deal],” he said.
