US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed his view that the Trump administration is not required to obtain congressional approval for military action against Iran, as a possible legal timeframe “pauses” because of the current ceasefire.
Some context: According to the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a presidential administration has 60 days from the first notification to Congress regarding military force to either stop a military operation or obtain authorization to continue combat. The 60-day mark for the Iran war is approaching at the end of this week.
However, Hegesth stated during his testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that the ceasefire between the US and Iran, which began on April 8, indicates that the administration currently does not require approval, even with the continuing naval blockade.
“Ultimately, I would refer to the White House and the legal counsel there on that; however, we are currently in a ceasefire, which we believe means the 60-day clock is paused or halted during a ceasefire,” Hegseth stated in reply to a query from Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine.
“I don’t think the law would back that,” Kaine responded. The end of the 60-day period will “raise a significant legal issue for the administration there,” he stated.