Friday marked the 60th day since President Trump formally notified Congress of US-Israeli strikes against Iran, triggering a legal deadline under the War Powers Resolution that requires the president to end the use of armed forces without congressional authorization. The Trump administration responded by declaring the hostilities "terminated," pointing to a ceasefire that has been in place since April 8.
A senior administration official told reporters that for War Powers Resolution purposes, "the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated." Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced that position during Senate questioning Thursday, saying, "We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire."
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine pushed back directly. "I do not believe the statute would support that," he said. "I think the 60 days runs maybe tomorrow, and it's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration." The War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 to limit President Richard Nixon's ability to continue waging war in Vietnam, requires a president to end the use of armed forces within 60 calendar days of notifying Congress, unless Congress formally declares war or grants an extension of up to 30 days.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters Friday that he is "not happy" with Iran and that a deal remained elusive. "We just had a conversation with Iran. Let's see what happens," he said. Iranian state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran sent a new proposal to Pakistani intermediaries on Friday, though the details were not disclosed. A Pakistani official confirmed to Reuters that the proposal had been forwarded to the United States.
Trump acknowledged the latest offer fell short. "They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens," he said. He attributed part of the difficulty in reaching an agreement to the deaths of senior Iranian military officials during the war, saying Iranian leadership was "very confused." He also said he had been briefed by US Central Command on Thursday with options ranging from resuming strikes to reaching a deal.
The ceasefire, now in its third week, has frozen hostilities that erupted on February 28 following the US-Israeli attack on Iran. Talks in Islamabad, which began April 11 and lasted more than 21 hours, failed to produce even a basic framework for further discussions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran is open to diplomacy if Washington alters what he described as its "threatening rhetoric" and "expansionist approach."
The stakes extend well beyond the battlefield. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally flow, remains effectively closed. Oil prices, which have risen sharply since Iran shut the channel, dropped briefly Friday after news of Tehran's latest proposal. Sultan Barakat, a senior professor in public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, told Al Jazeera that both sides want out of the conflict but on favorable terms. "Both sides are really desperate to bring an end to this war in a way that allows them to save face," he said.
Trump said he would prefer a negotiated solution but warned that a resumption of the conflict remained on the table. "They're asking for things I can't agree to," he said.
