The Iran war’s most significant domestic legal battle arrived on Friday — not in a courtroom or a Senate chamber, but in nearly identical letters from the President of the United States to the top congressional leaders.
The Letters
The Trump administration argued on Friday that a ceasefire reached three weeks ago had “terminated” hostilities between the two sides. An administration official said that the absence of direct fire between U.S. forces and Iran since a ceasefire was first agreed to on April 7 means the 60-day clock no longer applies. “For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” an administration official told MS NOW.
President Trump on Friday told congressional leaders that “hostilities” with Iran have “terminated,” addressing a critical 60-day deadline under a law meant to limit the unauthorized use of military force.
“There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026,” the president wrote in nearly identical letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President pro tempore Chuck Grassley.
The Legal Argument — and Its Flaw
The administration’s argument rests on a narrow definition of “hostilities” — direct fire between US and Iranian military forces. By that definition, the ceasefire since April 7 has produced no hostilities: no US airstrikes on Iran, no Iranian missile strikes on US forces.
The counter-argument, advanced by constitutional scholars and Democratic lawmakers, is that the War Powers Resolution’s “hostilities” encompasses the broader military engagement — including the active US naval blockade of Iranian ports, the US Navy’s “shoot and kill” order against mine-laying boats, and the seizure of Iranian vessels.
The Trump administration’s position is that the clock isn’t ticking on the 60-day time limit because the U.S. and Iran have been in a ceasefire since early April.
The argument was first raised by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during his hearing before the House Armed Services Committee earlier Thursday, where he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war.
What Congress Can Do
Several Republicans have suggested they want the Trump administration to either wind down operations in Iran at the 60-day mark or seek formal authorization from Congress.
The Senate already voted 55-46 to defeat a war powers resolution that would have limited Trump’s authority. That vote makes it politically difficult for Republicans to now use the War Powers clock as leverage. Democrats can force a vote, but without Republican support, they cannot win one.
The practical consequence of Trump’s “hostilities terminated” argument is that the Iran war will continue — blockade, carriers, mine-clearing operations, CENTCOM strike plan and all — without formal Congressional authorisation, on the legal theory that a ceasefire is the same as a war’s end.
