President Trump Notifies Congress Of New “War” Against Iran

The war with Iran is back on.

President Trump on Monday formally notified lawmakers that the United States is at war with Iran.

The move by Trump will give the Pentagon 60 days to conduct military operations against Iran without Congress’ approval.

Take a look:

BREAKING: Trump has formally restarted the war with Iran, in a letter sent to congress on Friday July 10th.

Trump said minutes ago the US will hit Iran "hard" tonight and tomorrow, adding "the MOU was only a test for Iran."

Trump also announced he will address the nation on… pic.twitter.com/QwcGhUwuhf

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 13, 2026

Read the full letter to Congress here:

I write to apprise you of military action commenced on July 7, 2026, against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I previously notified you of changes in the global posture of United States Armed Forces in the Middle East in response to threats from Iran, including most recently in the biannual periodic update signed on June 11, 2026, as well as in both the June 12, 2026 and June 29, 2026 updates on military action commenced on June 9, 2026; June 26, 2026; and June 28, 2026, all consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148).

As previously communicated to the Congress, I ordered a 2-week ceasefire on April 7, 2026. The ceasefire was then extended. During the ceasefire, my Administration engaged in productive, good-faith efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to Iran’s malign behavior and to end its threat to the United States and our allies and partners.
These efforts led to my signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on June 17, 2026.

The MOU requires the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels from the Persian Gulf to the Seas of Oman. Despite this commitment, Iran again attacked several neutral-flagged commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz between July 6–7, 2026.

At my direction, United States Armed Forces responded, commencing on July 7, 2026, with defensive strikes against targets within Iran including missile launch sites, air defenses, military maritime assets, military support infrastructure, and command and control capabilities.
United States ground forces are not involved in these strikes. These strikes are limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties.

They are focused on military capabilities posing a threat to the United States Armed Forces in the region, protecting the United States homeland, advancing United States national interests, securing safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, and defending our regional allies and partners.

United States Armed Forces remain postured to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners and to ensure the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ceases being a threat to the United States and to our allies and partners.

I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States interests both at home and abroad and in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests. I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and as Chief Executive to conduct United States foreign relations.

I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148).

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I appreciate the support of the Congress in these military actions.

JUST IN – US strikes against Iran begin pic.twitter.com/YWCvSepJp8

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 13, 2026

Politico reported more on Trump’s procedural move:

President Donald Trump formally notified lawmakers this weekend that the nation is once again at war with Iran, giving his administration another 60-day clock to use the military in the region without congressional approval.
In a letter to Congress dated July 10, obtained by POLITICO, Trump stated that the strikes that began on July 7 represent “military action consistent with my responsibility to protect Americans and United States’ interests both at home and abroad.”

The on-again, off-again war has proved very difficult for Trump to resolve, as the two nations wrestle over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital choke point for world energy supplies. Trump has fumed about an inability to strike a peace deal with Iran, while Republicans worry about being blamed for high gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump further ratcheted up military pressure against Iran on Monday, declaring that the U.S. will reimpose a blockade and will take over the strait, charging ships to transit the waterway.

The notification to lawmakers follows Trump’s declaration that the two-month ceasefire with Iran has officially ended. A truce, first declared in April, had been shaky from the start amid frequent attacks from both countries, though the Trump administration had repeatedly insisted that a full-on war hadn’t resumed.

U.S. Central Command officials have said that American military forces have struck more than 300 Iranian military targets in the last week, in retaliation for Tehran’s continued hostilities in the strait.

Trump had previously notified lawmakers in May that the war launched in February had “terminated,” thereby negating a 60-day legal deadline under which military operations must halt without congressional authorization.

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The ceasefire that went into effect in early April at that time had been indefinitely extended. The White House had argued that the move stopped the war powers clock.

Shortly before 5 p.m. U.S. CENTCOM announced it has launched a new wave of strikes against Iran.

Take a look:

At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief's direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 13, 2026

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Full text:

At 4:45 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief’s direction. These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.