Don’t Listen to Trump: His Iran War Still Isn’t Over and Still Isn’t Legal
The president is claiming the war is ‘terminated’ to avoid violating a bad-faith interpretation of a law he says he doesn’t need to follow, former defense intel analyst Harrison Mann writes.
The Iran war is over! At least, it is according to President Donald Trump, who just declared Iran “hostilities” have been “terminated.” Before you run to Times Square to grab the nearest sailor or nurse, I’ve got bad news – Trump is lying. The Iran war is not over by any legal or physical standard. With the Strait of Hormuz still shut, the US Navy still trying to enforce a blockade, thousands of extra troops still deployed to the region, and Trump still threatening to bomb Iran again, why is he suddenly trying to declare “mission accomplished?”
The answer is that Friday marked a special anniversary for congressional Republicans hoping to disassociate themselves from a disastrous war they have so far largely endorsed: 60 days from March 2, when Trump formally notified Congress of his war on Iran.
The so-called “60-day clock” comes from the 1973 War Powers Resolution (WPR), a bill passed to prevent a repeat of Vietnam, which saw successive US presidents drag the country into a foreign quagmire without seeking approval from Congress, the only branch of government with the constitutional authority to declare war. The WPR stipulates that if the president enters “hostilities” following an attack on the United States, he can continue operations for up to 60 days before securing congressional authorization required under the Constitution. The term “hostilities” used in the law refers both to active combat and situations where troops are at risk of coming under fire.
The WPR has been used and abused by both parties, with Republicans now treating it like a 60-day hall pass for Trump. On the contrary, says Eric Eikenberry, government relations director at Win Without War: “The ‘60-day clock’ in the WPR is not congressional permission for the president to wage any war they like for two months.”
Why Republicans Are Talking About a 60-Day Deadline – And Why It’s Irrelevant Under the Law
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