On February 28, US President Donald Trump declared the start of major combat operations in Iran, claiming it was necessary to eliminate imminent threats to American citizens. These strikes, which have killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and targeted key military and political officials, have escalated tensions across West Asia, including missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar.

Trump has not formally called the operations a “war” because under the US Constitution, only Congress can declare war. While Article 2 grants the President authority as Commander-in-Chief to conduct military actions to defend the US, extended campaigns require Congressional approval under the War Powers Resolution Act of 1973. Critics argue that the scale and duration of the Iran operations exceed emergency powers and constitute an “illegal, regime-change war” without proper authorisation.

The Trump administration has briefed select congressional leaders but has yet to seek formal approval for continued operations. Legal experts emphasize that for the strikes to be fully lawful, a report to Congress must be submitted and authorisation obtained, highlighting the constitutional and political limits on presidential military power.