Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that the US administration does not need congressional approval to continue the war with Iran. In his opinion, war does not include days on which there is a truce.
Friday marks 60 days since the Donald Trump administration notified the US Congress about the commencement of military operations against Iran. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 provides that if Congress does not authorize hostilities within 60 days, the operation must be terminated.
War with Iran. Pete Hegseth on Ceasefire
However, the Secretary of War considers that the days of armistice do not count towards this period. — Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and its advisors on this matter; however, there is currently a ceasefire in place, which we believe means that the 60-day period is either being paused or ending,” Hegseth said during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday.
Some politicians do not agree with this interpretation. “I think that the 60 days will probably be tomorrow and that this will be a really important legal issue for the administration,” said Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.
ABC News reported on Thursday, citing a White House representative, that the administration is in active talks with Congress about the upcoming deadline requiring congressional authorization.
A cease-fire in the war with Iran was announced on April 7. Trump later extended the ceasefire, but did not specify for how long.
