The US President Donald Trump has notified Congress that hostilities between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, are over.
Axios reports this, citing a letter from Trump to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump noted that there has been no exchange of blows between the sides since April 7, when the ceasefire was declared.
"The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have ceased," the US president wrote. At the same time, the president did not rule out the possibility of new military operations in the future.
Axios believes that such a declaration has legal implications. Under the War Powers Act, the US president must obtain congressional approval if hostilities last more than 60 days. The announcement of their end effectively cancels that deadline.
The day before, the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said that the 60-day countdown could be suspended during a ceasefire. Democrats disagreed with this approach, believing that even in the absence of strikes, a naval blockade of Iran is a form of military action.
The US Senate also failed to support a resolution that would have forced the Trump administration to halt or seek congressional approval for military action against Iran. The White House said it was continuing to adjust troop deployments in the region to respond to threats from Iran.
Back on April 15, Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo, after an interview with Trump, said that she had asked the president if the war was over. Trump replied, "It is over."
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels a day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran reported that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
On April 19, Donald Trump announced that his representatives would go to Pakistan for talks. But Iran refused to send its delegation. The Foreign Ministry noted that the US had violated the ceasefire, and Iran "cannot forget the US attacks on it during previous talks".
On April 21, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had extended the truce with Iran until the Iranians submitted their proposals and concluded discussions.
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