Trump administration rejects need for Iran war Congressional approval despite deadline

Trump Iran war approval: White House rejects Congressional deadline as Tehran tensions surge

Muhammad Asghar | GlobalBeat

The Trump administration formally rejected a 60-day Congressional deadline to obtain approval for military action against Iran, insisting the War Powers Resolution does not apply to the current situation.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered the refusal in a classified briefing to the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday night, ignoring the 24 May deadline set by Democratic lawmakers.

The move escalated a month-long standoff between Capitol Hill and the White House over executive war powers. Iran diplomacy has dominated Washington’s agenda since US intelligence reported Tehran was weeks away from weapons-grade uranium enrichment.

Hegseth told lawmakers the troop buildup in the Persian Gulf was “defensive in nature” and therefore exempt from the 1973 resolution, according to members who attended the closed doors session.

Republicans on the committee backed the Pentagon’s interpretation. Rep. Michael Waltz, a former Green Beret, said Iran’s nuclear progression justified the carrier group deployment without further Congressional sign-off. “The president has constitutional authority to protect American forces already in the region,” Waltz told reporters in the hallway.

Democrats warned of constitutional crisis. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the panel’s top Democrat, called the administration’s stance “lawless” and promised floor votes to restrict funding. “They want a war and they don’t want to ask permission,” Meeks said.

The White House had sent 2,000 Marines and additional bombers to bases in Qatar and Bahrain after unexplained explosions damaged two Israeli-owned cargo ships in the Gulf of Oman earlier this month. Tehran denied involvement but hailed the blasts as “natural justice.”

European allies watched nervously. British diplomats warned Secretary of State Marco Rubio that any unilateral strike could rupture the remaining JCPOA nuclear talks, according to a cable seen by GlobalBeat. France and Germany have jointly suspended quiet negotiations with Iranian envoys in Vienna.

Oil markets reacted instantly. Brent crude jumped 3.4% to $84.60 per barrel on Friday morning while the Strait of Hormuz remained open under heavy US naval patrol. Traders priced in a 30% probability of armed conflict before August, Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a note.

Veteran Republican senators split on the issue. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell backed Trump’s prerogative but demanded a “clear objective and exit strategy” if bombs fall. Sen. Rand Paul threatened to filibuster the defense authorization bill unless withdrawal language was added.

Constitutional scholars said the dispute mirrors past showdowns. “Biden, Obama and Bush all stretched war powers, but openly rejecting a statutory deadline is new ground,” said Yale law professor Oona Hathaway. She predicted the Supreme Court would decline to intervene, leaving the fight to politics.

Tehran responded with familiar defiance. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi tweeted that America “plays with fire” while Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf vowed a “crushing response” to any attack on nuclear sites. State TV broadcast military exercises showing fast boats circling a mock US carrier.

Background

The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires presidents to terminate overseas hostilities after 60 days unless Congress votes to authorize them. Every administration since Nixon has called the law unconstitutional, but most sought some form of legislative backing before major combat.

Tensions with Iran have simmered since 2018 when Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions. The drone killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in 2020 brought the two nations to the brink before both sides stepped back.

Congress has tried repeatedly to curb presidential authority over Iran. In 2019 both chambers passed a resolution ordering Trump to halt attacks unless faced with imminent danger, but the measure died after a party-line veto. Similar bipartisan bills have stalled in every session since.

What’s Next

Democratic leaders plan a trio of votes next week: one to cut off funding for offensive operations, another to block arms sales to Gulf allies, and a symbolic motion demanding a diplomatic strategy. None are expected to clear the Republican-controlled Senate, but backers hope floor debate will pressure the White House to brief all members on classified intelligence.