Trump says the Iran war has been “terminated”: rushing to avoid congressional authorization before the 60-day deadline

The Trump administration on April 30 claimed its war against Iran had been “terminated,” sidestepping before the May 1 deadline of the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day limit from the 1973 law, thereby avoiding the need to obtain congressional authorization to continue military operations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on April 30, told senators that “we are now in a ceasefire posture, which means the 60-day clock is paused or stopped,” but some Republican senators and legal experts strongly rejected this interpretation.

War Powers Resolution 60-day deadline: May 1, and the administration uses an April ceasefire to escape

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, if a president deploys troops overseas without congressional authorization, they must withdraw within 60 days after notifying Congress. The war against Iran began on February 28, 2026. Trump formally notified congressional leadership of the use of force in a letter dated March 2, which started the 60-day clock; May 1 is the statutory expiration date.

The Trump administration’s legal argument is that “after a ceasefire took effect in early April, the fighting had effectively ended,” so the 60-day clock was “paused or stopped” and congressional authorization is no longer required. Hegseth’s comments to senators are the official version of this rationale—yet the text of the War Powers Resolution itself does not mention any mechanism that allows the 60-day clock to be paused or ended due to a ceasefire. Multiple war powers specialists noted that “there is nothing in the War Powers Resolution text or design indicating the 60-day clock can be paused or terminated,” and Republican Sen. Susan Collins also said, “This deadline is not a recommendation; it is a requirement.”

Political divide: Both parties question the move; Collins and a Democratic vote requirement to end

On April 30, the Senate voted on a resolution calling for an end to the war against Iran. It did not pass, but Collins joined the Democratic camp and cast a yes vote, a rare instance of a Republican senator publicly challenging the administration’s position. The resolution failing showed Democrats remain in the minority in the Senate, but the split itself has already exposed that the Trump administration’s interpretation of the War Powers Resolution is far from uncontested.

A broader legal controversy is that since the War Powers Resolution was enacted in 1973, most presidents have generally chosen to bypass or reinterpret the law. But this time, the Trump administration’s claim that the war is already over “because of a ceasefire” is comparatively new. If courts or Congress accept it, it would provide a new legal operating template for future presidents’ unauthorized military actions—so long as a ceasefire is achieved in the middle, officials could claim the war is terminated and sidestep the 60-day authorization requirement.

Market and geopolitical implications: Oil markets and yen pressure may not ease in the near term

The administration’s claim that the war has ended is the market’s direct signal that “the U.S. will not expand military operations,” but the situation may not necessarily cool in tandem. On the same day, Iran’s supreme leader still vowed to protect nuclear weapons and missile capabilities. After Brent crude temporarily broke above $114 on 4/29, it remained elevated. On 4/30, the Japanese yen surged by more than 3% in one day, reflecting that Asia’s FX markets are still under high strain.

More importantly is the effective state of the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Even if the political front declares the war “terminated,” the IRGC’s de facto control over the strait could still persist. The UAE’s exit from OPEC on 5/1 and related adjustments to the Middle East energy supply-demand structure will also develop independently. For both crypto and traditional finance investors, “the Trump administration’s claim that the war has ended” is a signal of political de-escalation, but real drivers—energy prices, safe-haven demand for the yen, and insurance costs in the Middle East—are still likely dominated by on-the-ground geopolitical conditions. The next watchpoint is whether Congress challenges the Trump administration’s legal interpretation further, and how Iran officially responds to the claim of “termination of war.”

This article “Trump says the war with Iran has been ‘terminated’: avoiding congressional authorization before the 60-day deadline” first appeared on 鏈新聞 ABMedia.