ZeroHedge.com
Summary
- Trump submits letter to Congress at 60-day mark: ceasefire ‘terminated’ hostilities & so doesn’t need authorization, he argues.
- US Treasury goes after Hormuz payment fees, sanctioning three Iranian foreign currency exchange houses. Bessent issues pressure points against Iranian ‘rats’.
- Trump on Friday rejects Iran’s latest revised proposal to Pakistan mediators. Nuclear issue not included: a non-starter, and focus is on ending the war. Israeli officials balk.
- Iran economically squeezed, signs of divided response among leadership, but surviving: “Weeks of conflict have aggravated Iran’s dire economic problems, risking calamity after the war, but the Islamic Republic looks able to survive a standoff in the Gulf for now.” (Rtrs)
- Alternative routes emerge: “Iran cannot be besieged; We have different ways to export and import,” Iranian official says.
Yes 37% · No 64%
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Trump Letter: Doesn’t Need Congressional Approval As Ceasefire Has ‘Terminated’ Conflict
In an acknowledgement that his anti-Iran Operation Epic Fury has indeed hit 60 days, President Trump has issued a formal letter to Congress which argues he does not need their authorization for war. He is arguing the current ceasefire has in effect ‘terminated’ the conflict. Below are his main points via NBC [emphasis by ZH]:
- “On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote in the letters, one of which went to the House and one of which went to the Senate.
- “Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” the president added in the letter, promising to keep congressional leaders updated on further developments in Iran.
- “I have and will continue to direct United States Armed Forces consistent with my responsibilities and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive,” the president wrote in his letter.