President Donald Trump told lawmakers May 1 that the Iran war is over, resetting the clock just ahead of a legal deadline that would have required Congressional approval for a continuation of the conflict. On the same day, Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to end the war, signaling further conflict may be around the corner.
In a letter addressed to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-LA, Trump cited the recent extension of a ceasefire initiated April 7 to argue that the war – which after 60 days would require the permission of Congress – is over.
“There has been no exchange of fire between United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026,” the President wrote. “The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.”
The same day, Trump rejected an Iranian deal delivered through intermediaries the night before.
“They want to make a deal, I’m not satisfied with it, so we’ll see what happens,” said to reporters at the White House, according to the Associated Press. “I mean, do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever? Or do we want to try and make a deal? I mean, those are the options.”
Trump similarly signaled he is still weighing further military action against Iran in his letter to Congress, stating that “the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant” and that “the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the AoR in select countries, as necessary and appropriate, to address Iranian and Iranian proxy forces’ threats and to protect the United States and its allies and partners.”
Trump’s letter argued his actions are “consistent with the War Powers Resolution” – a federal law limiting presidential authority to conduct war without Congressional approval – but critics view his declaration that the conflict is over as a gambit to continue the war while depriving elected officials of an opportunity to bring it to a vote.
The President’s statement to Congress “seeks to head off a growing battle on Capitol Hill,” POLITICO reported, “where Trump faces the prospect of losing Republican support as the war stretches into its second month with no clear exit strategy. But the White House’s reasoning won’t sit well with Democrats and some Republicans, who argue the administration must wind down the campaign now that it has reached that benchmark.”
“The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires U.S. forces to withdraw from a conflict 60 days after the president notifies Congress, unless lawmakers vote to authorize continued military action,” the outlet noted. “The White House can seek to extend military operations for another 30 days for the purposes of winding down the conflict.”