“For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior White House official told The War Zone on condition of anonymity.
White House interpretation of the War Powers Resolution
The administration is relying on the April 7 ceasefire to stop the 60‑day clock under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the anonymous senior White House official told The War Zone. The official said both sides agreed to a two‑week ceasefire on April 7 that has since been extended and that there has been no exchange of fire between U.S. Armed Forces and Iran since that date. The position was echoed in congressional testimony by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said “the 60‑day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.” In response to reporting about military briefings, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told The War Zone that “President Trump has all the cards as negotiations continue, and he always has all options at his disposal to ensure that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.”
Congressional posture, votes, and timing
Under the War Powers Resolution, the use of armed forces must terminate within 60 days unless Congress declares war or votes to approve a 30‑day extension. The president formally notified Congress on March 2, which placed the statutory deadline on May 1. Congress adjourned for a week‑long recess on April 30. On Thursday the Senate rejected the latest of several resolutions intended to halt the war. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Associated Press he does not plan a vote to authorize force in Iran. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer said he would vote for an authorization if the president requested it but questioned the constitutionality of the War Powers Act. Republican Sen. Susan Collins posted on X that the 60‑day deadline “is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” adding that further military action “must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close.”
Iran’s diplomatic signal: a new proposal via Pakistan
Iran told Pakistani mediators on Thursday that it had “delivered its latest proposal for negotiations based on efforts to end the war to Pakistan,” the Iranian IRNA news agency reported. IRNA quoted Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei as saying that “ending the war and establishing a sustainable peace remain Tehran’s main priorities in negotiations with the United States.” The report followed an April 11 round of talks in Islamabad that concluded without an agreement. The source material notes that President Trump’s major demand is that Iran give up its nuclear ambitions, while Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran would protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities” and declared that the only place Americans belong in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters.”
Military options briefed to the president and CENTCOM planning
Axios reported that U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine briefed the president for 45 minutes on new operational plans for potential strikes against Iran. CENTCOM has prepared three options, according to Axios and two senior American officials cited by the outlet: (1) “short and powerful” waves of strikes likely targeting infrastructure; (2) an operation to take over part of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen it to commercial shipping, potentially including ground forces; and (3) a special forces operation to secure Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. CENTCOM declined comment and the Joint Chiefs did not respond to requests for comment, per the reporting.
Regional military and economic indicators: drones, Israel‑UAE cooperation, and shipping
On the battlefield and in trade lanes, signals show continuing friction despite the ceasefire claim. An Iranian National Security Commission parliament member, Ali Khodarian, said “small enemy drones appeared to assess the country’s air defense, and Iran’s air defense responded decisively,” though he did not identify the drone operators. Social media video emerged showing Iranian air defenses firing over Tehran. The IDF said its Division 98 completed operations in southern Lebanon, claiming to have dismantled more than 900 Hezbollah infrastructure sites, located hundreds of weapons, and “eliminated more than 200 terrorists.”
On cooperation among U.S. partners and regional states, the Financial Times reported that Israel sent a version of its Iron Beam laser defense system and the Spectro surveillance system to the United Arab Emirates to help defend against missiles and drones. On trade flows, Kpler reported that Strait of Hormuz crossings fell to seven transits as of April 30, split between four commercial and three non‑commercial movements, with only two laden west‑to‑east crossings recorded. The UK Maritime Trade Operations group said transits have fallen by more than 90 percent, leaving 850 merchant ships and around 20,000 sailors inside the Gulf. Separately, a satellite image circulating on social media was described by Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas as showing Iran continuing to load oil on to tankers at Kharg Island.
What this means for CENTCOM, Congress, and Iranian negotiators
- CENTCOM and the Joint Chiefs: will continue planning and presenting operational options — Axios cited three concrete plans — while publicly declining comment on the briefs described to the president.
- Congress and key senators: face a statutory deadline that the White House says the ceasefire pauses; some Senate leaders are deferring to the president, others such as Sen. Susan Collins insist the 60‑day limit is binding and demand defined objectives before further action.
- Iranian negotiators and Pakistani mediators: have moved a fresh proposal through Pakistan to U.S. channels, with Tehran publicly framing negotiations around “ending the war and establishing a sustainable peace,” even as senior Iranian statements assert protection of nuclear and missile capabilities.
The factual record presented to date is a study in contrasts: the White House asserts the statutory 60‑day clock is stopped by an agreed ceasefire; senior U.S. military officials briefed the president on renewed strike options; Iran has routed a fresh negotiating text through Pakistani mediators while senior Iranian leaders publicly defend nuclear and missile capabilities; and regional indicators — drone probes, Israeli weapons transfers to the UAE, reduced Hormuz transits, and ongoing IDF activity in Lebanon — underscore that the pause is fragile. Which of those competing facts will determine whether the conflict remains paused, resumes kinetically, or moves to a negotiated settlement is a choice now shaped by presidential decisions, congressional posture during the coming recess, and how seriously both sides pursue the new proposal forwarded through Pakistan.
Original story: https://www.twz.com/news-features/white-house-claims-ceasefire-means-no-congressional-approval-needed-for-iran-war-yet
