President Donald Trump told Congress on Friday that hostilities in Iran have “ended” since he imposed a two-week ceasefire on April 7, which was later extended.
President Trump’s assertion came at a time when there was a deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution to ask Congress to formally declare war on Iran or authorize the use of military force against the country.
Friday marks the 60th day since the war began in late February. Under the War Powers Resolution, the president must ask Congress for authorization to use military force within 60 days of the start of hostilities.
Congress has not authorized U.S. military action against Iran. President Trump’s letter to Congressional leaders on Friday is a salvo aimed at dissuading members of Congress from restricting military action against Iran.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York called the president’s claims “strong” in a post to Mr. X on Friday.
“This is an illegal war, and every day Republicans continue to collude and allow it to continue, there will be another day when lives are at risk, chaos erupts, and prices rise, while Americans pay the price,” Schumer wrote.
President Trump said early Friday that he would not seek congressional approval and suggested the War Powers Resolution was unconstitutional.
“There has been no exchange of fire between U.S. forces and Iran since April 7, 2026,” President Trump said in separate letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Senate President Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have ended,” President Trump wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he believes the countdown clock “pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”
Sen. Tim Kaine told Hegseth, “I don’t think the law would support that.”
Asked at the White House on Friday about seeking Congressional authorization for military force against Iran, President Trump said he did not think so “because no other president has ever asked for authorization.”
“Over and over again, no one has ever asked for it before. They think it’s completely unconstitutional, but we’re in constant communication with Congress and no one has ever asked for it before,” Trump said.
“Nobody’s ever asked for it before. It’s never been used before. Why should we be any different?”
President Trump also said he was not satisfied with new offers from Iran to end the war with the United States and Israel.
“Iran wants a deal, but I’m not happy with it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “Iran wants a deal because it has no troops left.”
Asked why he was dissatisfied with Iran’s latest offer, Trump said: “They’re asking for things that I can’t agree to.”
Early Friday morning before Trump’s speech, Pakistani officials in Islamabad who have been involved in brokering peace talks between the United States and Iran confirmed to MS NOW that Iran had sent U.S. officials an updated proposal to end the war.
Trump said at the White House that Iran is making “progress” in negotiations with the United States, but “we don’t know if the negotiations will ever get there.”
The president said there were “huge disagreements” among Iranian leaders, which were complicating the peace process.
“They have a big problem getting along with each other,” Trump said. “In Iran, the leadership is very fragmented. There are two or three groups, maybe four groups, and it’s a very disorganized leadership.”
“That being said, they all want an agreement, but everything is messed up,” he said.
