Trump tells Congress Iran hostilities ‘terminated’ but leaves door open for more

WASHINGTON (CN) — President Donald Trump informed congressional leaders Friday that the U.S. military operation against Iran was “terminated,” the same day the White House was legally required to seek congressional authorization to continue its war in the Middle East.

But the missive, sent to the top lawmakers in both the House and Senate, appears to leave the door open for future military action against Iran and its proxy forces — and argues the threat posed by Tehran remains “significant” despite the Trump administration’s claims its campaign has been a resounding success.

Under the War Powers Resolution, presidents can only commit troops to combat for a period of 60 days without a formal declaration of war or military force authorization from Congress. Friday was the last day of that legally mandated period.

In his letter to Senate president pro tempore and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, obtained by Courthouse News, Trump pointed out he’d ordered a two-week ceasefire in the conflict beginning April 7 and that there had been “no exchange of fire” between the U.S. military and Iranian forces since then.

“The hostilities that began on Feb. 28, 2026, have terminated,” the president wrote.

However, Trump claimed despite the “success” of military operations against Tehran and “continued efforts to secure a lasting peace,” there may still be a need for future hostilities. “Accordingly, the Department of War continues to update its force posture in the [area of responsibility] 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,” he told Congress.

Trump added he would continue to update lawmakers on “noteworthy changes” to U.S. military presence in the region.

A similar letter was reportedly sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Prior to his Friday communication with Capitol Hill, the president appeared open to the prospect of remaining at war with Iran without approval from Congress. Speaking to reporters outside the White House just hours before, the president claimed the War Powers Resolution is “totally unconstitutional” and that the ceasefire bought him “additional time” to carry out unilateral military action.

“No other country’s done it,” said Trump. “We’re in the midst of a big victory — this is a victory like we haven’t had since Venezuela.”

The Trump administration in January carried out a strike in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas during which U.S. forces captured the country’s former president, Nicolas Maduro.

Members of Congress have repeatedly tried to block the White House from continuing its war on Iran, a joint U.S. and Israeli operation which killed the regime’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scuttled its naval forces and razed its missile infrastructure. Senate Republicans on several occasions voted down Democratic-led efforts to disapprove of Trump’s war using authority granted to lawmakers under the war powers law.

While Trump reiterated to lawmakers the “significant” threat still posed by Iran and its proxies, administration officials have repeatedly argued they’ve accomplished their goals of hampering Iran’s military capacity and ensuring the regime is not able to develop nuclear weapons.

“President Trump has had the courage to ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon, and he is iron-cladding that,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee during a marathon hearing this week.

The U.S. military last year conducted “Operation Midnight Hammer,” an airstrike carried out on Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility which the White House said at the time had “obliterated” the country’s nuclear program and set back the weapons development process by years.

Meanwhile, Washington and Tehran remain at an impasse in peace talks — Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not satisfied with the regime’s latest offer.

Central to the issue is Iran’s ongoing shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, which has put a damper on the global economy. Tehran has offered to reopen the strait if the U.S. agreed to defer talks about its nuclear program. Washington has so far refused that overture.

Follow @BenjaminSWeiss