There appears to be a growing dispute over the Trump administration’s interpretation of when it must seek congressional approval for military action in Iran.
Top military leaders faced questions from lawmakers as the administration approaches what some in Congress say is the 60-day deadline on Friday.
A White House official told Scripps News the administration is in active conversations with Congress about authorization but did not provide details. The official added that “members of Congress who try to score political points by usurping the commander in chief’s authority would only undermine the United States military abroad.”
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The White House also said it has provided more than 30 briefings to members of Congress. Some Democrats, along with Republicans, pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the war during a hearing Thursday.
Hegseth told lawmakers that, under the current ceasefire, the administration believes the clock has paused. Sen. Tim Kaine disagreed, noting “serious Constitutional concerns.”
“Is the president intending to either seek congressional authorization for the war in Iran or send us the legally required certification that he needs an additional 30 days to remove U.S. forces from the war?” Kaine asked.
“On Iran, ultimately, I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that. However, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops,” Hegseth responded.
Kaine said he does not believe the War Powers Resolution of 1973 would support that interpretation.
Under the law, the president has 60 days to end military action or get authorization from Congress and can request one additional 30-day extension to withdraw U.S. forces.
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Meanwhile, the head of U.S. Central Command is in Washington this week for closed-door meetings with administration officials and members of Congress, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
The administration believes Iran wants to reach a peace deal. President Donald Trump reiterated this week that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, saying there will be no deal unless Tehran agrees to that condition.
In public comments, Trump suggested the United States could quickly eliminate what remains of Iran’s missile program if no agreement is reached.
Iran, meanwhile, has shown no signs of scaling back its nuclear program or easing its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s supreme leader said the country will “put an end to the hostile enemy’s exploitation” of the strait.