Trump notifies Congress U.S. military action against Iran has restarted
Trump’s July 10 letter told Congress Iran strikes restarted July 7, reopening a War Powers clock and intensifying the fight over authorization.
President Donald Trump notified Congress in a July 10 letter that military action against Iran restarted last week, saying the strikes “commenced on July 7” and were already back under way when the notice reached Capitol Hill. The letter was sent to Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Senate president pro tempore.
The strikes were “limited, measured, planned, and executed” and were aimed at Iranian military sites threatening U.S. forces and commercial shipping. The administration had previously told Congress the hostilities had “terminated” after an early-April ceasefire, saying no exchange of fire had occurred since April 7. Trump’s new letter reverses that position.
The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of military hostilities and end those hostilities after 60 days unless lawmakers approve an extension. Trump’s earlier argument rested on the claim that the ceasefire paused that clock. The new notice restarts it, giving the administration another 60 days of military action without congressional approval unless Congress intervenes.
The escalation followed Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, where Trump announced a naval blockade and said the United States would be reimbursed 20% on cargo shipped through the waterway. The Strait remains one of the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoints, carrying roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows. Trump also said no U.S. ground forces were involved. U.S. Central Command said American forces struck more than 300 Iranian military targets in the past week, while earlier retaliatory fire hit 90 targets in one overnight barrage.
Lawmakers were already pressing for limits. Both chambers passed a resolution last month seeking to curb further military action against Iran without congressional authorization, and senators voted to end the hostilities. Republicans remain split between backing Trump’s strikes and worrying about the legal basis and the political fallout from higher gas prices. Democrats continue to push for a formal war authorization vote as the confrontation widens across the Middle East, with Iran also responding with missiles and drones against U.S.-allied Gulf states.
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