Avoiding the "60-day deadline," Trump writes to Congress stating that hostile actions against Iran have "ended."

On May 1, Xinhua News Agency reported from Washington (reporters Huang Qiang and Xu Jianmei) that U.S. President Trump sent a letter to Congress stating that the hostile actions between the United States and Iran have "ended." This statement aims to circumvent the "60-day deadline" for the president to use military force without congressional authorization, and Trump also indicated that this conflict may be far from over.

In the letter addressed to House Speaker Johnson and Senate Acting President Chuck Grassley, Trump stated that he ordered a ceasefire for two weeks on April 7, Eastern Time, which was subsequently extended, and there has been no exchange of fire between the U.S. and Iran, declaring that "the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have now ended."

Trump noted that despite the success of military actions against Iran, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and U.S. forces remains significant. Therefore, the Department of Defense continues to adjust military deployments in countries within the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command to address the threats from Iran and its regional "proxies."

U.S. media reported that Trump's statement effectively circumvented the legal deadline of May 1. According to the War Powers Act passed in 1973, the president must decide to end military action or seek congressional authorization to continue operations within 60 days after first notifying Congress of the use of military force. The Trump administration officially informed Congress of military action against Iran on March 2, making the 60-day legal deadline expire on May 1.

The day before, U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth testified before Congress that the temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran took effect on April 8, meaning that the 60-day deadline for Trump's military action against Iran has been "paused or suspended," and the Trump administration currently does not need to seek congressional authorization for military action against Iran.

U.S. media pointed out that Trump sent this letter at a time when negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were at an impasse, with the U.S. continuing to blockade Iranian ports and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remaining obstructed. Democrats criticized the military action against Iran as "illegal" without congressional authorization and called for an end to it. Within the Republican Party, support for Trump has shown signs of division, with some congressional members stating they would not support this military action after the "60-day deadline."