Middle East war: Trump bypasses Congress and claims hostilities with Iran are "over"

In a letter to Congress on Friday, Donald Trump asserted that he could bypass the congressional authorization, arguing that the conflict with Iran was no longer active. This position was contested by Democrats.

You always have to expect the unexpected with Donald Trump. On Friday, the US president asserted that he did not need congressional approval to continue the American military engagement with Iran, even as the 60-day legal deadline imposed by the War Powers Act was about to expire. In a letter to members of Congress, the president justified his position by stating that hostilities were now "over."

According to this document, the White House considers the situation no longer to be one of active conflict. "On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have ended," the president wrote.

Democrats "are not patriots"

The legal framework remains clear: the US Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, while the 1973 law authorizes the president to intervene militarily in an emergency, provided he obtains congressional authorization after 60 days. In this case, the conflict began on February 28, but the official notification was not transmitted until two days later, setting May 1 as the deadline for a congressional vote.

Since the start of the operations, Democrats have repeatedly tried to restrict the president's military powers, without managing to pass any legislation. When questioned about these initiatives, Donald Trump rejected their legitimacy: "I don't think what they're asking for is constitutional. Those who are asking for it are not patriots," before adding: "Nobody has ever demanded it before, nobody has ever asked for it, so why should we?"

The situation remains unstable.

This interpretation is contested by the opposition, which believes the situation remains unstable. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen criticized the president's portrayal of the conflict, arguing that "President Trump's declaration that the war in Iran is over does not reflect the reality of the tens of thousands of American soldiers in danger in the region," also mentioning the persistent tensions and their economic consequences.

While some Republican lawmakers have suggested they might seek formal congressional authorization once the deadline has passed, Democrats do not currently have sufficient support to impose this requirement. The executive branch therefore retains some leeway, despite the ongoing legal and political debate surrounding the true implications of the cessation of hostilities.