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Iran conflict sparks Congress-White House clash over US war powers
April 23, 2026
Posted 6 hours ago by
Amid hostilities with Iran, the US Constitution divides war powers between Congress and the White House. Only Congress can declare war—last formally used in 1942—yet presidents acting as commander in chief under Article 2 have initiated conflicts citing rapid defence needs; the 1973 War Powers Resolution mandates notification within 48 hours and a 60‑day limit, extendable by 30, giving President Donald Trump until 1 May before Congress must act.
Democrats say the administration is bypassing authorisation, while Republicans say it is following the law. Al Jazeera’s Phil Lavelle reports from Washington. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #USCongress #USConstitution #WarPowers #IranConflict #PresidentialPower #ArticleII #CongressAuthorisation #PartisanPolitics #WashingtonDC #DonaldTrump #AlJazeeraEnglish
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