TEHRAN - The 60-day deadline for the US administration to seek Congressional approval to continue the war on Iran has officially expired, prompting intense debate as President Donald Trump and his supporters pursue their own legal interpretation of the War Powers Resolution.

Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973—a Vietnam-era law—a US president has 60 days to conduct military action in response to an imminent threat or an attack on the United States if Congress has not voted to authorize a formal declaration of war.

Friday marked the end of the 60-day window, calculated from the date President Trump formally notified Congress of the conflict's initiation on March 2. The US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran on February 28. Following roughly 40 days of hostilities, Tehran and Washington agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Although the initial period ended, President Trump has continued to extend the truce unilaterally.

Conflicting interpretations of the law

The Trump administration contends that the ceasefire period effectively "pauses" the 60-day legal clock. "We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops," Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told senators on Thursday during his appearance before Congress. 

Some Republican allies support this perspective, suggesting that the president holds the authority to extend the 60-day clock for an additional 30 days if he determines that continued military presence is necessary to ensure the safety of service members during a withdrawal. "I think the expectation is that he has the ability to extend it for 30 days," noted Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Conversely, many Democrats vehemently reject this interpretation. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia criticized the administration’s logic, arguing that it creates an unchecked precedent. "And then it’ll be 120 days, and then it’ll be forever," Kaine said. "Why don’t we just let Donald Trump wage war against anyone in the world for as long as he wants?" Some Democrats further argue that the 60-day timeline is irrelevant because they maintain there was no evidence of an imminent threat from Iran when the conflict began.

Rising tensions and ‘quagmire’ debate

The debate reached a boiling point during Wednesday's hearing before the House Armed Services Committee, where Hegseth faced intense questioning. The appearances of the war secretary and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, before Congress have intensified scrutiny regarding the administration's stated motives for the war. Democratic lawmakers grilled the administration over the ballooning financial costs of the conflict, with some accusing the Pentagon of obfuscating the reality of the situation.

Tensions soared when California Democrat John Garamendi sharply criticized the administration's handling of the crisis. “The president has gotten himself and America stuck in a quagmire of another war in the Middle East,” Garamendi stated. The Democratic lawmaker added, “He is desperately trying to extricate himself from his own mistakes; it is in America’s, and indeed the world’s, interest he succeed in that.”

The remark drew a furious response from Hegseth, who blew a fuse. “You call it a quagmire, handing propaganda to our enemies? Shame on you for that statement,” Hegseth said, highlighting the deep political rift over the ongoing conflict.

Economic and strategic fallout

Beyond the political debate, the economic impact is being felt acutely. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global oil shipping corridor—has caused fuel prices to spike, creating significant political pressure for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. While the White House has claimed success in degrading Iran’s military capabilities, reports suggest the damage to US military installations and equipment, as a result of Iran’s retaliatory response, is more severe than official figures imply. The Pentagon has publicly estimated the cost of the war at $25 billion, while independent analysts and media outlets, including CNN, have suggested the actual financial burden on the US is likely closer to $50 billion.