Friday marks a significant moment in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with President Donald Trump facing a key deadline to end the fighting or extend it under the War Powers Act. But after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted an ongoing ceasefire “pauses” the countdown toward that May 1 deadline — and as Congress begins a week-long recess — it’s unclear how the White House will address repeated demands by congressional Democrats that it halt the war.
The law requires the president to seek approval from Congress to continue hostilities beyond 60 days. After two months of fighting, the U.S and Iran remain locked in a stalemate, with each confident they can outlast one another amid mounting costs to the global economy.
So what does the deadline mean, and does it matter? Here’s what to know.
What is the War Powers Resolution and what does it say?
The Vietnam-era law is designed to ensure the “collective judgment” of both Congress and the president are used when U.S. armed forces enter into hostilities.
It states that as commander in chief, the president is able to activate U.S. armed forces in certain situations including a “national emergency created by an attack upon the United States.” The use of armed forces should be terminated within 60 days unless Congress has declared war or extended the period. This 60-day period can be extended by an extra 30 days if necessary for the safe withdrawal of U.S. forces.
The Trump administration did not seek congressional approval before it launched joint strikes with Israel on Iran on Feb. 28. It notified Congress of the beginning of hostilities on March 2, which started the 60-day countdown to May 1.
What has the Trump administration said?
On Friday, a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s position, said for purposes of that law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28 have terminated.” The official said the U.S. military and Iran have not exchanged fire since April 7.
On Thursday, Hegseth also argued that the ongoing ceasefire between Washington and Tehran “pauses” the 60-day countdown in a hearing in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee and declined to say whether the White House would seek congressional approval for the war.
Trump and his administration officials have sought to characterize the war as a short military operation that would be over in four to six weeks, contrasting it with drawn out U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and defended the military operation as crucial to denying Iran a nuclear weapon.
But Trump said also Wednesday that he was prepared to keep up a blockade on Iranian ports until leaders in Tehran “cry uncle.”
What have lawmakers said about the resolution?
The May 1 deadline has proved divisive for lawmakers, with some arguing Trump has reached the limits of his power and others appearing open to an extension. But although Democrats have largely led the campaign to halt the war, Republicans have raised increasing concerns about Congress’s lack of input, and some have called for Trump to consult Congress by the May 1 deadline even while opposing resolutions to block further strikes.
On Thursday the Senate rejected the latest of many resolutions intended to halt the war. Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who joined with nearly all Democrats for the vote, said Trump’s authority as commander in chief is “not without limits” in a post on X. The 60-day deadline “is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” she said, adding that further military action “must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), meanwhile, said the U.S. was “not at war,” apparently sharing Hegseth’s view that a ceasefire constituted a pause in hostilities for the purposes of the War Powers Resolution. “I don’t think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace,” he told NBC.
Other Republicans said they would wait for formal communication from the White House, while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) said Hegseth’s comments showed the administration was trying to find a loophole. “They know they’ve got a 60-day problem, and they’re trying to come up with a rationale to get around it,” he told Axios.
What comes next
Under the resolution, Trump can get a 30-day extension, and some expect him to seek it. “I’d be surprised if he didn’t ask for a 30-day extension,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) told CNN. “During that time period, we’ll be asking questions.”
For now, lawmakers have a week-long recess. When they return the week of May 11, “I think we need to start talking with the administration, and in cooperation with them, to get an authorization for the use of military force,” North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters, “so that the American people understand that Congress is behind what the president is trying to do.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Thursday that she plans to introduce a measure on whether to formally authorize the warif she does not see a “credible plan” from the White House in the next week.
Meanwhile, peace talks between the U.S and Iran are stalled after an initial round last month failed to reach a resolution. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed to shipping traffic and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is in effect. Earlier this week, oil prices surged to a four-year high after Trump said he was prepared to keep up the blockade and would not strike a deal that did not restrict Iran’s nuclear program. Iran is pushing for a narrow agreement focused on ending the war and opening the strait, The Post reported.
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