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Trump aims to reset war powers clock with controversial bid to bypass Congress
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President Donald Trump informed Congress Friday that a ceasefire with Iran has ended hostilities and reset the clock on congressional war powers limits, but legal experts say ongoing military operations complicate that claim.
«For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,» a senior administration official told Fox News Digital.
«Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended,» the official went on. «There has been no exchange of fire between U.S. Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.»
The White House formally notified Congress in a letter Friday under the War Powers Resolution that it considers hostilities to have ended following the ceasefire.
LIVE UPDATES: IRAN THREATENS ‘LONG AND PAINFUL STRIKES’ ON US POSITIONS AS TRUMP FACES WAR POWERS DEADLINE
U.S. Marines aboard USS New Orleans (LPD 18) stand watch in the Arabian Sea during naval blockade operations against Iran. As of today, 44 commercial vessels have been directed to turn around or return to port, according to U.S. Central Command. (U.S. Central Command)
«Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran and its proxy forces remains significant. Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AOR in select areas to counter Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners,» Trump wrote in a letter to Congress Friday.
«As the situation evolves, I will continue to update the Congress on noteworthy changes in the United States Armed Forces presence, consistent with the War Powers Resolution.»
For decades, presidents of both parties have pushed the limits of the War Powers Resolution, seeking flexibility to conduct military operations without being hindered by a congressional vote.
The law requires the president to end the use of U.S. forces within 60 days of entering hostilities unless Congress authorizes the operation, with a limited extension allowed for withdrawal.
The more than two-month conflict has exposed sharply different interpretations of the law and whether the White House must seek congressional approval. Bombing ceased on April 7, but U.S. forces continue enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz — an operation widely considered an act of war.
«A ceasefire does not automatically suspend the War Powers 60-day clock,» said John Bellinger, who served as legal adviser to the State Department and National Security Council under President George W. Bush.
The U.S. military has been enforcing a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, even during the ceasefire. (U.S. Central Command)
He pointed to the continued presence of U.S. warships and thousands of troops enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing American forces «are clearly still conducting military operations and are in potential danger.»
U.S. forces have continued boarding and seizing vessels suspected of violating the blockade, at times using force to disable ships before Marines conduct inspections.
Stephen Pomper, policy chief at the International Crisis Group and a former senior National Security Council official, was more direct.
«I don’t think it’s a very credible interpretation. It’s certainly not based on the text of the statute,» Pomper said.
«There’s still an enormous American deployment. There’s an active blockade, which is an act of war.»
Trump is far from the first president to test the limits of the War Powers resolution, experts noted.
During the late 1980s «Tanker War» with Iran, the George H.W. Bush administration argued that individual naval engagements did not amount to sustained hostilities. In 1999, the Clinton administration maintained that congressional funding for the Kosovo campaign effectively constituted authorization.
More recently, the Obama administration argued that U.S. involvement in Libya did not rise to the level of «hostilities» under the War Powers Resolution, even as American forces supported air operations. The Biden administration made similar arguments in defending certain U.S. deployments tied to Yemen.
«We have seen Republican and Democratic administrations alike bypass the act in creative ways,» Nicholas Creel, Associate Prof. of Business Law at Georgia College and State University told Fox News Digital.
PELOSI’S WAR POWERS FLIP-FLOP EXPOSED IN RESURFACED OBAMA-ERA CLIP CONTRADICTS TRUMP CRITICISM ON IRAN
Congress has periodically challenged similar interpretations in past conflicts but has rarely forced a withdrawal of U.S. forces. Courts have also largely stayed out of War Powers disputes, leaving presidents with significant latitude to define the scope of hostilities.
If Congress does not act, the administration could continue operations without new authorization.
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«It’s really up to Congress, and as often as not, Congress doesn’t want to push back,» Pomper said.
Matt Zierler, an international relations professor at Michigan State University, told Fox News Digital that Congress likely does not have the «real will» to fully execute the War Powers Act because other powers, such as passing appropriation bills that would restrict defense spending, would be more effective. Even so, Zierler said sequestration measures could come at a political loss.
«It’s a big political loss, potentially for Congress, if they start cutting off funding,» Zierler said, suggesting that the president could claim the cut in funds by Congress is hurting troops and national security.
«It is a political or symbolic game, but it’s not necessarily something that most members of Congress want to play, because, you know, they don’t have all the intelligence,» Zierler said. «They don’t know what’s going on, and it can get really messy.»
Asked about the 60-day clock on Thursday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters: «I have not spent a great deal of time worrying about that.»
wars, conflicts, congress, armed forces, war with iran, politics
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Trump’s Iran gamble divides GOP hawks and ‘America First’ conservatives over what victory looks like
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President Donald Trump may have united Republicans behind military action against Iran, but his push to formalize peace is proving far more divisive.
As details of a memorandum of understanding emerge, GOP hawks are questioning whether the administration gave up too much, while Trump allies argue the president achieved a historic objective that crippled Iran’s military capabilities without dragging the U.S. into another prolonged war.
The disagreement is about more than Iran. It has exposed a growing divide inside the GOP over what Trump’s «America First» foreign policy should look like in practice — and what victory should mean once a military campaign ends.
At its core, the debate centers on competing visions of American power. One camp views military success as leverage to extract maximum concessions from adversaries and secure lasting strategic gains. The other sees it as a tool to neutralize threats and end conflicts before they become another Iraq or Afghanistan. Trump’s Iran agreement has forced those competing philosophies into a rare public collision.
That divide is already playing out among some of the party’s most prominent national security voices.
TOP SENATE REPUBLICAN RIPS INTO TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL, SAYS $300 BILLION MAKES OBAMA DEAL LOOK LIKE ‘A PITTANCE’
The administration’s memorandum of understanding with Tehran has exposed a divide among Republicans over what constitutes victory after the military campaign against Iran. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The deal’s fiercest Republican critics argue Trump is giving away leverage at the very moment Iran is most vulnerable. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., has blasted the agreement on X as the «worst foreign policy blunder in decades,» while Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has warned it appears «out of step» with the goals of the military campaign.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has questioned the concessions offered to Tehran and former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has criticized proposals that could help rebuild Iran.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has gone even further, calling the agreement a potential «lifeline» for the regime and warning it «smacks of appeasement.»
VANCE SAYS ‘UNITED STATES WINS EITHER WAY’ AS HE DEFENDS TRUMP’S IRAN DEAL AGAINST GOP SKEPTICS
Vice President JD Vance has defended Trump’s Iran agreement as the culmination of a successful military campaign that brought Tehran to the negotiating table from a position of weakness. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Trump’s allies, however, argue critics are overlooking the sweeping military campaign that preceded the agreement.
Vice President JD Vance and other administration officials contend the president achieved his core objective after U.S. and allied forces struck key Iranian military and nuclear sites, eliminated senior commanders and inflicted significant damage on Tehran’s military infrastructure. Supporters say those operations crippled Iran’s ability to project power, restored deterrence and ultimately brought the regime to the negotiating table without requiring a large-scale deployment of American ground troops.
They argue victory is defined by achieving U.S. objectives and ending the conflict on favorable terms — not by risking another prolonged war in the Middle East.
The clash highlights a foreign policy debate that has been simmering inside the Republican Party for years.
NEW SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW FIRES, NAVAL BASE DAMAGE ACROSS IRAN AFTER US-ISRAELI STRIKES
Supporters argue the agreement locks in military gains, while critics contend it gives Tehran too much after suffering major setbacks. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Getty Images)
While Republicans have largely rallied around Trump’s use of military force against Iran, the disagreement over what comes next reflects a deeper tension inside the party.
For traditional hawks, military victories create opportunities to reshape adversaries and secure lasting concessions. For many America First conservatives, the objective is narrower: neutralize threats, avoid nation-building and keep U.S. troops out of prolonged conflicts.
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As lawmakers and conservative leaders continue debating the memorandum of understanding’s merits, the fight may ultimately be less about the details of the Iran deal than about the future direction of Republican foreign policy — and what victory should mean in the Middle East.
war with iran, national security, donald trump, foreign policy, republicans, politics
INTERNACIONAL
Donald Trump asegura que Keir Starmer renunciará como primer ministro de Reino Unido: «Fracasó estrepitosamente en temas importantes»
Trump anunció la renuncia
El riesgo de las elecciones anticipadas
Una relación trasatlántica estallada
Tras la victoria en Makerfield
Cien diputados en contra de Starmer
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Trump says UK’s Starmer will resign, wishes him well amid reports of PM’s political future
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U.S. President Donald Trump declared in a Sunday Truth Social post that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will resign from his post.
Trump indicated that he wishes Starmer well, but also accused the British politician of failing on two issues.
«Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,» Trump declared in the Truth Social post.
Trump’s statement comes amid reporting that Starmer could be on his way out as early as Monday, with Reuters reporting Sunday the prime minister was still deliberating over his future.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated
united kingdom, donald trump, world
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