This Friday, May 1, marks the sixty-day deadline for Donald Trump to obtain the Congressional authorization in the conflict with Iran. According to the U.S. Constitution, only Congress has the power to “declare” war. However, a law passed in 1973 allows the president to initiate limited military action in response to emergency situations created by an attack on the United States. The same text requires that if the president deploys American troops for more than sixty days, he must obtain authorization from the legislative branch, different from a declaration of war.
The conflict with Iran began on February 28, but the official notification from the White House to Congress regarding the start of hostilities only came two days later. Without authorization from Congress after sixty days, Donald Trump would be required to withdraw American forces.
But his government argues the opposite. “We are currently in a ceasefire, which means – from our point of view – that the sixty-day clock is on hold
,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared on Thursday, April 30, during a Senate hearing.
This argument is rejected by the Democratic opposition. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer stated, “Pete Hegseth cannot simply hit pause on the countdown when American troops are still exposed to danger
.” Despite the ceasefire, the U.S. Navy continues to enforce a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
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