US War Sec Defends Ceasefire Pause on Iran War Powers Clock

Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, a president must obtain congressional approval or end military operations within 60 days of initiating force. That deadline for the Iran conflict is approaching, but Hegseth argued the timeline may not apply due to the current ceasefire.

"Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and the White House counsel on that; however, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire," Hegseth said, responding to Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, according to CNN.

Kaine rejected that interpretation, saying, "I do not believe the statute would support that," and warned that the issue raises "a really important legal question for the administration."

Hegseth also defended the administration's conduct of the war and its operational safeguards, telling senators that the Pentagon maintains strict protections for civilians. According to Al Jazeera, he said the US has an "ironclad commitment" to minimising civilian casualties and asserted that the military has "every resource necessary" to protect civilians, including human oversight in AI-assisted systems.

The hearing also included scrutiny over a reported strike early in the conflict that killed more than 170 people at a girls' school, prompting questions from lawmakers about civilian protections and operational accountability.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also pressed Hegseth on public support for the conflict, asking, "Why do you continue to prosecute a war that the American people aren't behind?" according to Senate hearing reporting cited by Al Jazeera.

Hegseth responded, "I believe we do have the support of the American people," noting the conflict began only two months ago.

Gillibrand pushed back, stating, "There's no evidence that we are safer because of this war. We did not have any evidence that Iran intended to imminently attack this country in any way, shape or form."

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Thursday (local time) made a series of claims about Iran, its internal situation, and ongoing Washington's actions there, asserting that American intervention has prevented mass executions and significantly degraded Iran's military capabilities.

Trump framed US operations as ongoing but not a formal war, stating, "And that's despite a military operation. I don't call it a war. I'd rather have a military operation. Iran is dying to make a deal."

"Their economy is crashing. The blockade is incredible. The power of the blockade is incredible. They're not getting any money from oil. And hopefully, it can be worked out very soon," he added.

He asserted that US actions had significantly degraded Iran's military capacity, saying, "Their navy's gone. Their air force is gone, their drone factories are about 82 per cent down, and their missile factories are almost 90 per cent down."

- ANI