President Trump formally notified Congress on May 1 that hostilities with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, have ended.
The notification represents a decisive close to a rapid and successful military campaign that brought Iran to heel in a matter of weeks. Trump confirmed that he ordered a two-week ceasefire on April 7, that the ceasefire was subsequently extended, and that there has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since that date.
The formal declaration satisfies requirements under the War Powers Resolution, which includes a 60-day timeline for presidents engaged in hostilities unless Congress declares war, authorizes the use of force, extends the period, or is physically unable to meet because of an armed attack on the United States.
“There has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since April 7, 2026,” President Trump wrote in a letter to Congress, noting a ceasefire he has indefinitely extended.
“The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated.” https://t.co/itC1LrIVG5
— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) May 1, 2026
Trump’s notification and the War Powers statute put the key facts in black and white:
Trump told Congress that on April 7, 2026, he ordered a two-week ceasefire, that the ceasefire had since been extended, and that there had been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7. The notification stated that the hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, had terminated. It also made clear that despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and U.S. Armed Forces remains significant.
ADVERTISEMENTThe War Powers Resolution gives the president a sixty-calendar-day window after a report is submitted or required, unless Congress has declared war, enacted a specific authorization for the use of United States Armed Forces, extended the period by law, or is physically unable to meet because of an armed attack on the United States. Trump’s notice addressed that deadline directly while preserving America’s deterrent posture.
Trump did not sugarcoat what lies ahead. Even as he declared hostilities terminated, the President made clear that despite the success of U.S. military operations and ongoing efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran remains significant. That is the posture of a commander-in-chief who understands deterrence: end the fighting from a position of overwhelming strength, but keep the pressure on a regime that has spent decades destabilizing the Middle East.
From the start of hostilities on February 28 to the ceasefire ordered on April 7, barely five weeks passed. Trump moved fast, hit hard, and brought the shooting phase to a close without letting Tehran dictate the terms.
Not everyone in Washington is pleased. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, criticized the declaration. That kind of reflexive opposition from the left is nothing new. Congressional Democrats spent the last several administrations either ignoring the Iran threat entirely or handing Tehran pallets of cash and calling it diplomacy. Their complaints ring hollow when a president actually uses American power to achieve results.
Trump’s warning about Iran’s continuing threat signals that this administration has no intention of letting its guard down. The hostilities chapter is closed. The deterrence posture remains in place. Iran’s leadership should take careful note: the ceasefire holds because the United States chose to stop, and any renewed aggression can be answered from a position of strength.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
