<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/white-house" rel="" target="" title="White House"><span>White House</span></a><span> asserted to Congress in a letter that hostilities with Iran have “terminated” despite the continued presence of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> armed forces in the region.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The message from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="US President Donald Trump"><span>US President Donald Trump</span></a><span> effectively skirts a May 1 legal deadline to gain approval from members of Congress to continue the war with </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/iran" rel="" target="" title="Iran"><span>Iran</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That deadline was already set to pass without action from Republican lawmakers who are deferring to the US president.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/man-charged-with-allegedly-pointing-laser-at-polair/20480202-a9c4-41c8-a47d-0801401d210b" rel="" target="" title="Man, 64, charged with allegedly pointing laser at police aircraft"><strong><span>Man, 64, charged with allegedly pointing laser at police aircraft</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The letter brings into stark relief the bold but legally questionable assertion of presidential power at the heart of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-politics-live-iran-israel-middle-east-war-may-1-donald-trump-king-charles-visit/967c1525-a092-46f8-8202-12d36983ed1d" rel="" target="" title="Trump’s war"><span>Trump’s war</span></a><span>, which he began two months ago without congressional approval.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the Senate president pro tempore.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Yet he also made it clear in the letter that the war may be far from over.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/trump-says-deadline-for-congress-to-approve-iran-war-doesnt-apply-hostilities-have-terminated/5279521f-374b-40f5-a474-f518b1b31711" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” the US president said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Congress must declare war or authorise the use of force within 60 days, Friday was the deadline, or within 90 days if the president asks for an extension.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This Congress did not attempt to enforce that requirement, leaving town Thursday for a week after the Senate rejected a Democratic attempt to halt the war for a sixth time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some GOP senators are growing uneasy about the war’s timeline, which Trump initially said would last a few weeks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Trump's letter showed how the president continues to forego congressional approval.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It contends the deadlines set by the law do not apply because the war in Iran effectively ended when a shaky ceasefire began in early April.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>The Republican debate over the war</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday he did not plan on a vote to authorise force in Iran or otherwise weigh in.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“I’m listening carefully to what the members of our conference are saying, and at this point I don’t see that,” Thune said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The reluctance to defy Trump on the war comes at a politically perilous time for Republicans, with public frustration mounting both over the conflict and its impact on gas prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Still, most GOP lawmakers say they are supportive of Trump’s wartime leadership or are at least willing to give him more time amid the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/iran-war-donald-trump-war-powers-deadline-what-comes-next/6336071e-7897-4df9-9fb8-27633164ec71" rel="" target="" title="fragile ceasefire"><span>fragile ceasefire</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/federal-budget-2026-what-to-expect-signficant-changes-announcements-explainer/94106a49-6102-447d-bb6a-53aabc1d4a5f" rel="" target="" title="Major tax reform, spending cuts and defence boost: What you can expect in this year's 'ambitious' federal budget"><strong><span>Major tax reform, spending cuts and defence boost: What you can expect in this year's 'ambitious' federal budget</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Senator Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he would vote for an authorisation of war if Trump asked for it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Cramer questioned whether the resolution passed during the Vietnam War era, as a way for Congress to claw back its power, was constitutional.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Our founders created a really strong executive, like it or not, like it,” Cramer said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some GOP senators did make it clear that they eventually want Congress to have a say.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Indiana Senator Todd Young said in a statement that lawmakers “must ensure that the people, through their elected representatives, weigh in on whether to send our military into combat".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He added that since the Trump administration is stating that “the Iran conflict has ceased, there should be no hostilities moving forward,” and that if the conflict resumes, he expects the White House to work with Congress to pass an authorisation for use of military force.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Some Republicans signal they want a vote</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A handful of GOP senators have said for weeks that Congress should assert its authority over the war at some point.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One of those, Maine's Susan Collins, voted for the first time with Democrats on Thursday to halt the war.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She said in a statement that she wants to see a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“The president’s authority as commander in chief is not without limits," Collins said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She added that the 60-day deadline is “not a suggestion, it is a requirement".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mcdonalds-dan-murphys-development-cowes-phillip-island/4eb0323d-ad53-4edb-a757-f833c0d615fc" rel="" target="" title="Residents of seaside Victorian town braced for Macca's battle"><strong><span>Residents of seaside Victorian town braced for Macca's battle</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In addition to Collins and Young, Republican Senators John Curtis of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Josh Hawley of Missouri, among others, have said they would eventually like to see a vote.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Curtis said he would not support continued funding for the war until Congress votes to authorise it.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“It is time for decision-making from both the administration and from Congress, and that can happen in league with one another, not in conflict,” Curtis said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Thune suggested the White House step up its outreach to lawmakers through briefings and hearings if it wants continued support from Capitol Hill.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Obviously, getting readouts from our military leadership on a somewhat regular basis, I think, will be helpful in terms of shaping the views of our members about how comfortable they are with everything that’s happening there, and the direction headed forward,” Thune said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Administration argues the deadline doesn't apply</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With the 60-day window under the War Powers Resolution expiring Friday, Defence Secretary </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/pete-hegseth-pulp-fiction-bible-verse-pentagon-sermon-usa-politics-news/1ffd64d4-628f-49ec-be6f-51e32c83bfea" rel="" target="" title="Pete Hegseth"><span>Pete Hegseth</span></a><span> said during a congressional hearing Thursday, “We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means, the 60-day clock pauses or stops".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The administration is making that argument even though Iran maintains its chokehold on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-iran-offers-to-reopen-strait-of-hormuz-if-us-lifts-its-blockade-and-the-war-ends-officials-say/9355d4b5-c8d8-4c18-b2b0-e954f888d3af" rel="" target="" title="Strait of Hormuz"><span>Strait of Hormuz</span></a><span>, and the US Navy is maintaining a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Trump echoed Hegseth’s argument and stressed that other presidents had similarly not sought congressional approval as laid out under the 1973 law.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/kumanjayi-little-baby-death-communitys-grief-alice-springs/b8655674-be34-43b4-a340-05a86052d6be"><strong><span>Family's message after five-year-old murdered</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>“Every other president considered it totally unconstitutional, and we agree with that,” Trump said at the White House as he departed for Florida.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Democrats scoffed at the suggestion that May 1 was not the real deadline.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said on social media, “There’s no pause button in the Constitution, or the War Powers Act. We’re at war. We’ve been at war for 60 days. The blockade alone is a continuing act of war".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The development came as little surprise to at least one House Democrat who oversees the military.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Washington Representative Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Associated Press: "Is the expectation that the Trump administration is going to follow the law? I do not have that expectation".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><strong><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></strong></em><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><em><strong><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Apple</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>ticking this box here</span></strong></em></a></li><li><em><strong><span>Sign up to</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="" title=""><em><strong><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></strong></em></a></li></ul></div></div>