Trump says he doesn't need congressional authorization for Iran war, citing ceasefire - BERITAJA

President Donald Trump connected Friday sent letters to Congress explaining that, owed to the ceasefire, he doesn't request its authorization for subject operations successful Iran, moreover though the conflict deed the 60-day people this week.

"On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been nary speech of occurrence betwixt the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began connected February 28, 2026, person terminated," Trump wrote successful the letters, 1 of which went to the House and 1 of which went to the Senate.

"Despite the occurrence of United States operations against the Iranian authorities and continued efforts to unafraid a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant," the president added successful the letter, promising to support legislature leaders updated connected further developments successful Iran.

The letters travel arsenic legislature leaders this week faced mounting questions about whether they planned to schedule votes connected a general warfare authorization from Congress.

The 1973 War Powers Resolution directs the president to activity authorization for warfare from Congress aft an ongoing subject conflict hits the 60-day threshold. The rule allows for a president to activity a 30-day hold if basal to safely region troops from the region, but Trump did not mention that successful his letter.

"I person and will proceed to nonstop United States Armed Forces accordant pinch my responsibilities and pursuant to my law authority to behaviour United States overseas relations and arsenic Commander successful Chief and Chief Executive," the president wrote successful his letter.

The U.S. subject strikes connected Iran officially began connected Feb. 28, but the Trump management notified Congress of the conflict connected March 2, starting the 60-day timepiece then.

As he departed the White House connected Friday heading to Florida, the president besides told reporters that he wasn't seeking authorization from Congress, "because it’s ne'er been sought before."

"There’s been numerous, many, galore times, and nobody’s ever gotten it before. They see it wholly unconstitutional, but we’re ever successful touch pinch Congress, but nobody’s ever sought it before. Nobody’s ever asked for it before. It’s ne'er been utilized before. Why should we beryllium different?" he said successful consequence to Beritaja.

In the past, different presidents person besides based on that they don't request legislature authorization for definite subject engagements.

In 2011, then-President Barack Obama argued against seeking legislature support for a subject cognition successful Libya, pinch his management saying, "U.S. operations do not impact sustained fighting aliases progressive exchanges of occurrence pinch dispute forces, nor do they impact U.S. crushed troops."

But then-Presidents George W. Bush successful 2001 and 2002 and George H.W. Bush successful 1991 did activity legislature authorization for subject conflicts successful the Middle East and successful those cases, lawmakers approved their requests.

Congress past twelvemonth repealed the 2002 and 1991 authorizations for usage of subject unit arsenic portion of the Pentagon's yearly spending package.

On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., based on that Congress wouldn't person to formally measurement successful connected the subject conflict pinch Iran, telling Beritaja, "we're not astatine war."

Johnson made a akin constituent to Trump's statement about the ceasefire, saying, "I don’t deliberation we person an active, kinetic subject bombing, firing aliases thing for illustration that. Right now, we are trying to agent a peace."

Later Thursday, successful a proceeding earlier the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth besides dismissed the 60-day threshold, telling lawmakers, "I would defer to the White House and White House counsel connected that. However, we are successful a ceasefire correct now, which, our understanding, intends the 60-day timepiece pauses aliases stops successful a ceasefire."