So some lawmakers now want to reassert the role of Congress, which under the US constitution is the only body that can declare war. –This issue of whether there was an imminent threat from Iran is at the heart of the debate over the war that Trump has now begun with Israel. At a news conference Monday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth used the word “war” to describe the conflict with Iran, not just a limited military intervention. The 1973 War Powers Act states that Trump must now obtain permission from Congress if he wants to keep fighting beyond a 60-day time limit. Republican congressman Thomas Massie, one of few in Trump’s camp that speaks out regularly to challenge him, condemned the Iran war on Saturday.

Source: Punch March 02, 2026 20:34 UTC