The Trump administration said it did not have to seek Congressional approval for the Iran war, setting up a clash with the legislative branch.
US presidents can carry out military operations for 60 days without lawmakers’ backing, a period that ostensibly expires today. But the US defense secretary argued that a temporary ceasefire between Washington and Tehran meant that the clock had paused on any such requirement, a position that many legal scholars — and even some Republicans — have questioned.
The domestic political row comes with little apparent progress on the horizon in the Middle East: Tehran has vowed “long and painful strikes” against US bases in the Gulf if Washington resumes hostilities.