President Trump faces a May 1 deadline to end US military action in Iran without Congressional approval under the War Powers Act. His options are – agree a peace deal, get approval, or ignore the deadline and face legal risks.The clock is ticking, loudly, for Donald Trump as he tries to negotiate an end to the Iran war, a conflict that seems not to have gone to plan, though he has made it clear he thinks otherwise.
The US president faces an inflection point this week – May 1 is the last day he can continue to order military action without violating the War Powers Resolution, or the War Powers Act.Under that law he cannot deploy American forces for more than 60 days at a time without Congressional approval. In simpler words, without the US declaring war on Iran.
Trump does not have that approval, not yet anyway.
He does have options, including seeking a 30-day extension or an AUMF – an Authorisation for Use of Military Force – but the ferocity of Democratic opposition complicates the process.