In a letter sent to parliamentary leaders, US President Donald Trump declared that hostilities against Iran are “over”. Donald Trump announced on Friday, May 1st, that he no longer needed Congress’ approval for war with Iran, as the 60-day limit set by law for obtaining parliamentary authorization for hostilities had expired.
Just two months after the start of the Israeli-American offensive against Tehran, the US President stated in a letter to Congress that the hostilities were “over”, relieving him from seeking approval from the legislative branch.
“On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There have been no exchanges of fire between US forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, are over,” he wrote.
A 60-day deadline
According to the Constitution, only Congress has the power to “declare” war. However, a law passed in 1973 allows the president to initiate limited military intervention in response to a situation of emergency created by an attack on the United States.
The same law requires that if the president deploys troops for more than 60 days, he must obtain authorization from the legislative branch, different from a declaration of war.
The conflict with Iran began on February 28th, but the official notification from the White House to Congress regarding the start of hostilities was only made two days later. May 1st represented the 60-day deadline to obtain parliamentary authorization.
Since the conflict began, Democrats have repeatedly tried to pass a bill limiting Donald Trump’s military powers against Iran, without success.
“I don’t think what they’re asking for is constitutional. Those asking for it are not patriots,” the US President stated on Friday morning in an exchange with journalists. “No one has ever asked for it before, so why should we do it?”
“President Trump initiated this war without a strategy”
Democratic opposition challenged the president’s position regarding the presumed end of hostilities.
“The statement by President Trump that the war in Iran is over does not reflect the reality of tens of thousands of American soldiers in danger in the region, ongoing threats from the administration to escalate hostilities, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and the spike in prices in the United States,” denounced Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Some Republican lawmakers warned that, after the 60-day deadline, they could begin to demand that the executive branch obtain authorization from Congress.
But without enough support from conservatives, Democrats do not have real avenues to make the government respect the deadline.
