Trump’s administration declared the Iran war “terminated” to dodge a legal bullet, but Congress and legal experts say that it doesn’t hold up

The Trump administration formally declared that hostilities with Iran have ended, a move timed to sidestep a looming legal deadline under the War Powers Resolution of 1973. A senior official stated Thursday that because a ceasefire has been in place since early April, the 60-day clock for military authorization has effectively stopped. The announcement came just as Friday’s deadline approached, marking 60 days since the administration first notified Congress it was carrying out strikes against Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, arguing that the 60-day clock pauses or stops entirely during a ceasefire. As highlighted by The Gurdian, the administration’s position is that since there has been no exchange of fire between U.S. forces and Iran for more than three weeks, the legal requirements for congressional authorization are no longer triggered.

That interpretation is meeting significant pushback from legal experts and members of Congress. Katherine Yon Ebright, an attorney at the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, pointed out that the War Powers Resolution was not designed to accommodate the idea that a ceasefire resets or pauses the clock. She noted there is a long history of executive branch lawyers finding ways to interpret these rules to keep military operations going past statutory deadlines.

The law is clear enough, even if the administration disagrees

On Thursday, the Republican-led Senate blocked another Democratic attempt to limit the conflict, with the vote falling 47-50 along mostly party lines. This marks the sixth time this year that Democrats have forced a vote on a war powers resolution regarding Iran. Even with the administration’s claim that the war is effectively over, members of Congress are still grappling with the absence of a clear exit strategy.

Some Republicans are also expressing discomfort. Senator John Curtis of Utah stated he would not support ongoing military action beyond the 60-day window without formal congressional approval. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has emphasized that the statute needs to be followed and that he hopes to see the war conclude. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also suggested the administration needs to present a concrete plan for winding down operations.

The House has seen similar friction. Earlier this month, a resolution to curb military action narrowly failed 213-214, with the administration’s thin majority feeling the pressure as Democrats continue forcing votes to put lawmakers on the record. Amid growing scrutiny of the White House’s approach to executive authority, including the Supreme Court’s recent ruling against Trump’s tariffs, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly defended the Iran strategy, stating that President Trump has been transparent and provided over 30 bipartisan briefings for members of Congress since before Operation Epic Fury began.

The core dispute remains the interpretation of the 1973 law. The original deadline exists because the Constitution grants the power to declare war to Congress, not the president. While the administration argues its current operations do not require authorization because they are short-term or counter an immediate threat, the conflict has already extended well beyond the four to five weeks the president originally predicted.

The history of the War Powers Resolution is admittedly uneven. David Janovsky from the Project on Government Oversight has noted the law has been fairly ineffective at constraining presidential action over its 50-year history. Previous administrations, including those of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, also navigated these deadlines by arguing their operations did not rise to the level of hostilities or by relying on existing funding authorizations.

The ceasefire has been extended indefinitely, but plans for peace talks in Islamabad were abruptly called off by the president. The status of Iran’s nuclear program remains unresolved, and tensions at the Strait of Hormuz persist, with the blockade already driving oil prices sharply higher and hitting American consumers at the pump. The administration is moving forward under the assumption that its 60-day obligation has been satisfied by the pause in kinetic military action.