Sixty days have passed since the US launched a surprise attack on Iran, triggering a massive war that engulfed all of Middle East and also sparked crude spike concerns across the world. With a ceasefire currently in effect, the Trump admin is reportedly trying to use this pause in fighting to skip the need for a congressional approval.
The war currently stands in a limbo with no prospect for a deal, a US blockade on Strait of Hormuz that has sent ripples across the globe as oil prices continue to rise. The Middle East also bore the brunt of this war, with Iran attacking US bases in the gulf nations.
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What is the 60-day deadline?
Trump has long received criticism from Congress for starting this war without any prior authorisation. The US president says he does not need Congressional approval to start a war, arguing he possesses the authority for short-term military actions. Congress approval is also not needed in circumstances where the country has been attacked or faces an imminent threat of hostilities.
However, that comes with a deadline. A short-term military action means that a presidential administration has 60 days from initially notifying Congress of the use of military force to either cease a military campaign or permission to keep fighting.
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The US reached the 60-day mark today, on May 1.
What does the US law say?
The 60-day deadline comes from the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires that US military operations undertaken without congressional authorisationâsuch as the current Iran warâbe terminated within 60 days, surpassing which an additional 30-day window for an orderly withdrawal can be obtained.
The law requires the president to notify Congress the scope and expanse of the war within 48 hours of sending in troops. The law further states that Congress alone holds the authority to initiate a formal war and manage its resources, including military spending and deployment of forces.
An orderly withdrawal means that additional timeline can be granted if the US President argues that time is needed for the safety of forces withdrawing from the war.
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Does the ceasefire remove the need for a congressional nod?
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, arguing that Trump does not require congressional authorisation to continue a war beyond 60 days because the ceasefire agreement reached with Iran has paused the clock on any such obligation.
âWe are in a cease-fire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses, or stops, in a cease-fire,â he said.
Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine did not sound convinced with Hegseth’s reply. âI do not believe the statute would support that,â Kaine replied. The expiration of the 60-day clock is âgoing to pose a really important legal question for the administration there,â he added, as reported by CNN.
However, there is some confusion in Congress over the exact date of the deadline. Some lawmakers argue that the 60-day countdown began when hostilities first started, which would set the deadline at April 29.
Others point to the wording of the law, saying the clock should begin when the White House formally notified Congress, placing the deadline at May 1.
Some Republicans also believe that ceasefire days donât count towards the 60-day total, or say that the president can unilaterally extend the deadline to 90-days, according to CNN.
Trump also criticised repeated congressional efforts to limit his authority to conduct military operations against Iran. “They go again and again on the war power,” Trump told reporters. “I’m negotiating a deal with Iran,” he added. âAnd every week, every three days, they put in a thing that the war should stop.â
Trump also remarked that he would not term the US-Iran conflict as a âwar.â He added that the US has destroyed Iranian navy and air force and that the country is âdying to make a deal.â
Talking to the reporters, Trump said, âIran is dying to make a deal… their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, and every ounce of any form of equipment practically is gone.â He also added that the US has âobliteratedâ Iran’s nuclear capacity.