The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has sent an official notification to Congress informing it of the resumption of military operations against Iran, thus granting a 60-day period for the Pentagon to employ forces under the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) without requiring prior approval from the House.
In the letter, sent last Friday, the occupant of the Oval Office indicates that military actions were reactivated on July 7. "United States ground forces are not involved in these attacks," he adds in the document, which the American newspaper 'The Hill' has had access to.
"These attacks are limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner that minimizes civilian casualties," Trump emphasizes in the writing, submitted in accordance with the War Powers Act, which obliges the president to inform Congress of any overseas attack within a maximum of two days.
Under this regulation, the U.S. Armed Forces can remain deployed for 60 days in the zone of operations, with the option of an additional 30-day extension at the president's discretion. If the deployment were to exceed that period, explicit congressional backing would be essential.
Trump had already indicated in a letter sent to Congress on May 1 that the ceasefire reached on April 7 with Tehran had concluded the offensive initiated on February 28 alongside Israel, which, he argued, allowed him to invoke the War Powers Act despite not having specific congressional authorization for his attacks against Iran.
In the last few hours, the United States has carried out new rounds of bombings on Iranian territory, to which Iran has responded by again attacking U.S. interests in countries in the region, fueling fears of a shipwreck of the negotiations opened after the April ceasefire to try to close a peace agreement in the Middle East.