The clock is winding down on the Trump administration's legal authority to conduct military operations in Iran under the War Powers Act, with the 60-day deadline set to expire at midnight Friday. The White House, however, is pushing back, arguing that an ongoing ceasefire effectively pauses the countdown—a claim Democrats and some legal experts dispute.
Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes began on February 28, and since then, 13 American service members have been killed and hundreds wounded. Iranian retaliatory attacks in the Persian Gulf, combined with a U.S. naval blockade, have choked off the Strait of Hormuz, sending global oil prices soaring. President Trump has repeatedly called the campaign a "war," despite never seeking congressional approval—a move that has fueled a bitter partisan fight on Capitol Hill.
The War Powers Act of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of launching military action and mandates that operations cease after 60 days unless lawmakers authorize them. The administration sent its formal notification on March 2, setting Friday as the cutoff. A 30-day extension is allowed only for safe troop withdrawal.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) dismissed the deadline entirely on Thursday, telling reporters that the U.S. is "not at war" at the moment. "I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that," Johnson told NBC News. "Right now, we are trying to broker a peace. I would be very reluctant to get in front of the administration in the midst of these very sensitive negotiations."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that line during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday, arguing that the ceasefire deal Trump struck with Iran on April 7 effectively stopped the clock. "We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire," Hegseth said, a claim Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) immediately challenged. "I do not believe the statute would support that," Kaine replied. "I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration."
Kaine and other Democrats have repeatedly tried to curb Trump's war powers through resolutions, only to see them blocked by Republican majorities. The latest effort, a measure from Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), failed Thursday by three votes. GOP Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Rand Paul (Ky.) crossed party lines to support it, while Democratic Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) voted no. Collins later said the War Powers Act "is not a suggestion; it is a requirement," and called for a clear mission and exit strategy before further operations.
The legal standoff comes as Trump told the nation in an April 1 address that the conflict would end "shortly," predicting a timeline of two to three weeks. That window has now passed, and the fighting—at least in terms of active hostilities—appears to have paused under the ceasefire, though the administration's interpretation of the law remains contested.
Meanwhile, the broader political battle over war powers continues to simmer. Critics point to the administration's refusal to seek congressional authorization as a dangerous precedent, while allies argue that the ceasefire and ongoing nuclear talks justify an extended timeline. The Pentagon's budget hearing also saw Democrats press Hegseth on the mounting costs of the Iran campaign and the firing of military officials. With the deadline approaching, the question of whether the president is exceeding his authority—and whether Congress will act—remains unresolved.
