Washington, 01 May (H.S.): US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch military action against Iran, even as political and legal controversy over the operation deepens.

Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, where he said the Trump administration does not currently need congressional approval. He argued that the present military pause, or ceasefire, effectively prevents the 60-day legal deadline from taking effect.

According to CNN, the hearing was prompted by the 1973 War Powers Resolution. Under that resolution, a president must obtain congressional approval within 60 days of launching military action, or else end the operation. In the case of the Iran conflict, that deadline is approaching. Hegseth argued that the ceasefire means the rule is not currently applicable.

Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine rejected that interpretation, saying the law does not support it and that it raises a serious legal question.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune signalled on Thursday that the chamber is unlikely to vote in the near future on any proposal authorising war.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said that if she does not receive a credible plan from the White House by next week, she intends to introduce a resolution on whether the war should be formally authorised.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Murkowski said, “I do not accept that we should be involved in an open-ended military action without any clear direction or accountability. Congress has a role. Congress must step forward and fulfil that role. It must carry out the responsibility entrusted to us by the Constitution.”

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley said the war had reached a decisive turning point and that, under the law, the administration has the option of requesting an additional 30 days, which would be the better choice.

The hearing also raised the issue of an alleged attack on a girls’ school in Iran, in which more than 170 people were reported killed. Several lawmakers questioned military accountability over the incident. Hegseth said the Pentagon is now using AI-assisted systems along with human oversight. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said the country’s citizens do not support the conflict. California Senator Adam Schiff said the war was illegal from the outset because the United States had not been attacked and there was no imminent threat.

Hegseth rejected those claims, saying that President Trump and his administration have public support. Gillibrand hit back at his remarks, saying there is no concrete evidence that the war has made America safer and no proof of an immediate threat from Iran.

Outside the hearing, Trump said US action had prevented large-scale killings in Iran and weakened the country’s military capability. He said it was not a war, merely a military campaign, and added that Iran is desperate to make a deal. He also said the US blockade has weakened Iran’s economy and nearly shut down its oil earnings.

The War Powers Resolution emerged during the Vietnam War. It states that if a war continues for more than 60 days, congressional approval becomes mandatory. It also says that even if Congress has not voted to authorise a war, the president has 60 days to use military force in response to an imminent threat or an attack on the country.

Legal experts say that without clear congressional approval, the president must stop using US forces immediately once that deadline expires. They are treating Friday, May 1, as the 60-day mark because Trump informed Congress on March 2 that the war had begun.

The War Powers Resolution is also known as the “60-day clock.” The law is designed to restrain the president’s military powers so that a prolonged war cannot continue without approval from Congress.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar