Trump tells Congress ceasefire means he does not need their approval for Iran war

Donald Trump told Congress that US hostilities with Iran have "terminated" owing to an ongoing ceasefire. He argued that he did not need lawmakers' authorisation for the conflict. This came on the 60th day since he formally notified Congress of strikes against Iran.

The US and Iran have not yet reached a longer-term deal via talks, though Iranian media reported a new proposal from Tehran sent via Pakistan on Friday. President Trump told reporters on Friday afternoon: "We just had a conversation with Iran. Let's see what happens. But, I would say that I am not happy." He said a deal has been hard to reach in part because Iranian leadership was "very confused", after a number of its top military officials were killed in the war. Trump said he was briefed with options by US Central Command on Thursday, ranging from "blast the hell out of them and finish them forever" to "make a deal". He later said: "they're not coming through with the kind of deal that we have to have," and "we're going to get this thing done properly. We're not going to leave early and then have the problem arise in three more years." The US Treasury has issued a notice warning that any individual or company that pays Iran a "toll" for passage through the Strait of Hormuz was at risk of violating US sanctions. Trump told congressional leaders on Friday in a letter that: "There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have terminated."

Lawmakers in Congress have faced mounting questions about whether they intend to schedule a vote in each chamber to decide whether the war should receive formal authorisation. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth argued before a congressional hearing on Thursday that the clock had paused on the deadline to seek legislators' approval.