US Not at War with Iran, Says House Speaker Mike Johnson

The Big Picture: Key Points

  • House Speaker Mike Johnson claims the US is not at war with Iran, despite ongoing military conflict.
  • The 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the president to remove military forces from conflict within 60 days if Congress doesn't authorize a war.
  • The Trump administration is approaching the 60-day deadline, with the White House and Congress in discussions about how to handle the requirement.
The statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson comes as the US nears the 60-day mark of its military conflict with Iran. Johnson told NBC News that he doesn't think the US is currently in an active, kinetic military situation with Iran, and that the administration is trying to broker a peace. He expressed reluctance to interfere with the administration's sensitive negotiations, saying that Congress should wait and see how the situation plays out. Johnson's comments were made in response to questions about the 60-day deadline outlined in the 1973 War Powers Resolution. The law requires the president to remove military forces from conflict within 60 days if Congress doesn't authorize a war. When pressed about the deadline, Johnson specifically said,
We are not at war.
He added that the US is policing the Strait of Hormuz and trying to get a peace, and that the president and administration are moving as aggressively as possible. The Trump administration is indeed approaching the 60-day deadline, and the White House and Congress are in discussions about how to handle the requirement. A senior White House official told NBC News that administration officials and leaders on Capitol Hill are in
active conversations
about the issue. The official also warned that any members who voted against an authorization for the president's war with Iran would only undermine the US military abroad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked about the 60-day limit in a Senate hearing, and he deferred to the White House and White House counsel on the matter. However, he noted that the US is currently in a ceasefire with Iran, which, in his understanding, means the 60-day clock pauses or stops. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., responded that he does not believe the statute would support that interpretation. The White House has maintained that President Trump has been transparent with Congress about the military action in Iran, providing over 30 bipartisan briefings for members of Congress. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that the president's preference is always diplomacy, and that Iran wants to make a deal. Despite the administration's claims, President Trump has repeatedly referred to the conflict with Iran as a
war
. In his first remarks announcing the strikes on Iran, he said that the lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and that the US may have casualties,
which often happens in war
. Later, he said that the operation was
both
a war and a
little excursion
. However, he also acknowledged that maybe he shouldn't call it a war, because
you are supposed to get approval
from Congress. The ongoing military operation in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, according to Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III. The Trump administration plans to request supplemental funding from Congress for the war.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 60-day deadline that the Trump administration is approaching? The 60-day deadline is outlined in the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires the president to remove military forces from conflict within 60 days if Congress doesn't authorize a war. Is the US currently at war with Iran, according to House Speaker Mike Johnson? No, according to Johnson, the US is not at war with Iran. He claims that the administration is trying to broker a peace and that the US is policing the Strait of Hormuz. What has been the cost of the ongoing military operation in Iran? The cost of the ongoing military operation in Iran has been $25 billion so far, according to Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules Hurst III.

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For more information on the conflict between the US and Iran, visit our iran war topic page.