Trump Administration Says Ceasefire Pauses War Powers Clock on Iran War

The Trump administration is pressing a legal argument that its war with Iran can continue past a 60-day deadline without Congress’s approval, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials argue that a ceasefire “pauses” the clock under the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

“WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic lawmakers in Congress for a second day Thursday, rejecting senators’ accusations that the Iran war was launched without evidence of an imminent threat and waged with no coherent strategy”

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TRT World reports that a senior Trump administration official told US media that hostilities with Iran that started in February have “terminated” for War Powers Resolution purposes, adding, “Both parties agreed to a 2-week ceasefire on Tuesday, April 7 that has since been extended,” and “There has been no exchange of fire between US Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.”

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The same TRT World account says this interpretation would allow the White House to avoid seeking congressional approval, and it ties the claim directly to Hegseth’s Senate testimony earlier on Thursday that the ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran effectively paused the war.

CNBC similarly frames the dispute as a “Friday legal deadline” that threatens to halt U.S. military operations, while Hegseth suggested Thursday that the ongoing ceasefire nullifies that cutoff date, saying the statutory countdown clock “pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”

CBS News describes the broader political pressure around the “60-day deadline” to secure Congress’s approval for military action, while The Globe and Mail says Trump faces a Friday deadline to end the Iran war or ask Congress to approve extending it.

In the middle of the legal contest, the administration’s position is that the ceasefire changes the legal posture, while Democrats and some Republicans insist the deadline is binding.

The legal fight is anchored to a specific sequence of dates and statutory triggers described across multiple outlets, with the 60-day window tied to when Trump notified Congress and when the clock is said to end.

The Globe and Mail says the Iran conflict began on Feb. 28, when “Israel and the United States began air strikes on Iran,” and that Trump “formally notified Congress of the conflict 48 hours later,” which “starting the 60-day deadline clock that ends May 1.”

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It adds that under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the president can wage military action for only 60 days before ending it, coming to Congress for authorization or seeking a 30-day extension due to “unavoidable military necessity regarding the safety of United States Armed Forces.”

CNBC provides a parallel account, saying the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran on Feb. 28 and that Trump sent a letter notifying Congress of the action on “March 2, starting the 60-day clock and setting up a May 1 deadline.”

Washington Examiner and other reporting also emphasize that the administration’s options include a one-time 30-day extension, with the Examiner stating that Trump “can grant himself a one-time 30-day extension, subject to limitations on offensive operations.”

In the background of the clock, the administration’s ceasefire-based argument is presented as a way to avoid the requirement to seek formal approval after 60 days, while opponents argue the statute does not permit pausing.

As the deadline approaches, lawmakers are grilling Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over both the legal justification for continuing the Iran war and the administration’s strategy, with the hearing described as a second day of confrontation.

“Trump Faces the 60-Day Deadline”

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ABC7 WWSB | Other reports that Hegseth “clashed with Democratic lawmakers in Congress for a second day Thursday,” rejecting accusations that the war was launched without evidence of an imminent threat and waged with “no coherent strategy.”

In his opening statements, Hegseth called Democratic lawmakers “reckless naysayers” and “defeatists from the cheap seats,” while he said Trump has had the courage “unlike other presidents to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and that their nuclear blackmail never succeeds.”

The same ABC7 account says Democrats peppered Hegseth with questions about whether Trump would seek congressional approval, and it states that “The defense secretary said the ceasefire postpones the deadline for securing such approval.”

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is quoted in multiple outlets as insisting the deadline is mandatory, with CNBC reporting Collins said, “That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” and that “Further military action against Iran must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.”

ABC7 WWSB | Other adds that Sen. Jack Reed argued the war left the U.S. “in a worse strategic position,” citing “13 American troops killed” and “more than 400 injured,” while also saying “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, sending fuel prices skyrocketing.”

Different outlets frame the same dispute through sharply different emphases, ranging from a “ceasefire loophole” to a warning that the War Powers clock cannot be paused.

CNBC describes Hegseth’s position as a “ceasefire loophole,” saying he believes the statutory countdown clock “pauses or stops in a ceasefire,” while Sen. Tim Kaine immediately responded, “I do not believe the statute would support that.”

CBS News

TRT World reports the administration’s position more aggressively, saying hostilities have “terminated” for War Powers Resolution purposes and that “There has been no exchange of fire between US Armed Forces and Iran since Tuesday, April 7.”

The Globe and Mail, by contrast, emphasizes the political and procedural stakes, saying Trump’s Republicans have voted down Democratic efforts “almost unanimously,” and that the date is “most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes.”

Washington Examiner frames the White House’s posture as active negotiation, quoting a senior White House official saying, “The administration is in active conversations with the Hill on this topic,” while also quoting the same official’s warning that members “would only undermine the United States military abroad.”

In the legal debate, TRT World quotes war powers counsel Katherine Yon Ebright saying the administration’s interpretation would be a “sizeable extension of previous legal gamesmanship,” and she adds, “To be very, very clear and unambiguous, nothing in the text or design of the War Powers Resolution suggests that the 60-day clock can be paused or terminated.”

The sources portray the immediate next step as a looming decision point for Congress and the White House, with multiple outlets describing how lawmakers are preparing for what happens after the deadline.

“President Donald Trump is running up against a Friday legal deadline that threatens to halt U”

CNBC

The Globe and Mail says Trump is “scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for fresh military strikes on Iran to compel it to negotiate an end to the conflict,” and it adds that if fighting resumes, Trump can tell lawmakers that he has started another 60-day clock.

CNBC

It also reports that Democrats have tried repeatedly since the war began on Feb. 28 to pass resolutions seeking to force Trump to withdraw U.S. forces or obtain congressional authorization, but that Trump’s Republicans “have voted them down almost unanimously.”

TRT World describes the administration’s legal strategy as a way to avoid seeking congressional approval, while noting that Democrats have pushed for formal approval and that the 60-day mark would likely be a turning point for “a swath of Republican lawmakers.”

Washington Examiner adds that Congress is set to depart Washington on Thursday afternoon for a week long recess, while the White House’s negotiations with lawmakers continue, and it quotes Sen. Susan Collins saying, “Sixty days is the endpoint for unilateral, non-congressionally approved military hostilities, except for winding down activities.”

Beyond Congress, the dispute also touches the operational environment around the Strait of Hormuz, with TRT World saying Iran maintains its “chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz” while the US Navy maintains a blockade to prevent Iran’s oil tankers from getting out to sea.