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Friday marked a significant moment in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, with President Donald Trump facing a key deadline to end the fighting or extend it under the War Powers Resolution. But after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted an ongoing ceasefire "pauses" the countdown toward that May 1 deadline - and as Congress begins a week-long recess - it's unclear how the White House will address repeated demands by congressional Democrats that it halt the war.
The law requires the president to seek approval from Congress to continue hostilities beyond 60 days. After two months of fighting, the U.S. and Iran remain locked in a stalemate, with each confident they can outlast the other amid mounting costs to the global economy.
So what does the deadline mean, and does it matter? Here's what to know.
• 1. What is the War Powers Resolution and what does it say?
The Vietnam-era law, also known as the War Powers Act, is designed to ensure the "collective judgment" of Congress and the president are used when U.S. armed forces enter into hostilities.
It states that as commander in chief, the president is able to activate U.S. armed forces in certain situations including a "national emergency created by an attack upon the United States." The use of armed forces should be terminated within 60 days unless Congress has declared war or extended the period. This 60-day period can be extended by 30 days if it is deemed necessary for the safe withdrawal of U.S. forces.
The Trump administration did not seek congressional approval before it launched joint strikes with Israel against Iran on Feb. 28. The administration notified Congress of the beginning of hostilities on March 2, which started the 60-day countdown to May 1.
The law - which was passed in 1973 over the veto of Republican President Richard M. Nixon - has long been a source of contention between the White House and Congress because it restricts executive power.
• 2. What has the Trump administration said?
A senior administration official said Friday that, for the purposes of the War Powers Act, "the hostilities that began on Saturday, Feb. 28 have terminated." The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely discuss the administration's position, said the U.S. military and Iran have not exchanged fire since the two-week ceasefire that began April 7 and has since been extended.
Their assertion echoed comments made Thursday by Hegseth, who argued that the ongoing ceasefire between Washington and Tehran "pauses" the 60-day countdown. Hegseth made the claim at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee and declined to say whether the White House would seek congressional approval for the war.
Scott Lucas, professor of U.S. and international politics at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin, said he expected the Trump administration would use the ceasefire as "cover" for the 60-day deadline and argue the blockade is part of ongoing economic pressure on Iran. "I'm not sure how many people are going to wear that argument," he said, adding it could become complicated if airstrikes resume or the U.S. puts boots on the ground.
The White House said the administration was in "active conversations with the Hill" regarding the deadline and warned against lawmakers trying "to score political points by usurping the Commander-in-Chief's authority."
Trump and his administration officials have defended the war as crucial to denying Iran a nuclear weapon, and they have sought to characterize it as a short military operation that would be over in four to six weeks, contrasting it with drawn-out U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But Trump also said Wednesday that he was prepared to keep up a blockade on Iranian ports until leaders in Tehran "cry uncle."
• 3. What have lawmakers said?
The May 1 deadline has proved divisive for lawmakers, with some arguing Trump has reached the limits of his power and others appearing open to an extension. Although Democrats have largely led the campaign to halt the war, Republicans have raised increasing concerns about Congress's lack of input, and some have called for Trump to consult Congress by the May 1 deadline even while opposing resolutions to block further strikes.
On Thursday, the Senate rejected the latest of many resolutions intended to halt the war. Republican Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), who joined with nearly all Democrats in voting for the resolution, said Trump's authority as commander in chief is "not without limits" in a post on X. The 60-day deadline "is not a suggestion; it is a requirement," she said, adding that further military action "must have a clear mission, achievable goals, and a defined strategy for bringing the conflict to a close."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), meanwhile, said Thursday the U.S. was "not at war," apparently sharing Hegseth's view that a ceasefire constituted a pause in hostilities for the purposes of the War Powers Act. "I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace," he told NBC.
Other Republicans said they would wait for formal communication from the White House, while Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) said Hegseth's comments showed the administration was trying to find a loophole. "They know they've got a 60-day problem, and they're trying to come up with a rationale to get around it," he told Axios.
• 4. What comes next?
Under the resolution, Trump can get a 30-day extension, and some expect him to seek it. "I'd be surprised if he didn't ask for a 30-day extension," Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) told CNN. "During that time period, we'll be asking questions."
For now, senators have a week-long recess. When they return the week of May 11, "I think we need to start talking with the administration, and in cooperation with them, to get an authorization for the use of military force," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) told reporters, "so that the American people understand that Congress is behind what the president is trying to do."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said Thursday that she plans to introduce a measure on whether to formally authorize the war if she does not see a "credible plan" from the White House in the coming week.
Meanwhile, Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Friday that Tehran had sent its latest proposal to Pakistani mediators, amid stalled peace talks with the United States. The Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for oil transportation, remains closed to shipping traffic and a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is in effect. This week, oil prices surged to a four-year high after Trump said he was prepared to keep up the blockade and would not strike a deal that did not restrict Iran's nuclear program.
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