President Donald Trump's top economic adviser said on Sunday he does not know what the definition of war is 'when we're not shooting,' marking the administration's latest refusal to admit the United States is continuing to engage in an act of war against Iran with its naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.
Hassett's Comments on 'Face the Nation'
CBS host Margaret Brennan asked White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on 'Face the Nation' whether the U.S. is at war with Iran, after Trump told Congress on Friday that hostilities have ended because 'there has been no exchange of fire' between the two parties in nearly a month.
'I don't know what the definition of war is when we're not shooting and we're negotiating,' Hassett answered. 'And they're under a lot of pressure. There's no reason I think right now to do anything other than what we're doing. The fact is that that regime has destroyed the country.'
'So, we are still at war with Iran?' Brennan pressed. Hassett did not directly answer, but confirmed the blockade remains in place.
Trump's Letter to Congress
Trump had sent letters to Republican leaders on Friday in response to lawmakers calling for him to comply with the War Powers Resolution, which for decades has required the administration to stop all hostilities within 60 days if Congress has not voted to authorize use of force. The 60-day deadline also applies to the removal of U.S. forces.
In Trump's letters, he said he will extend the fragile weekslong ceasefire, but also that the U.S. military 'continues to update its force posture' in the Middle East due to ongoing threats from Iran. For the president, that means keeping the Navy's blockade of the Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, which has caused prices in the U.S. to skyrocket.
Legal and Political Reactions
A naval blockade is by definition an act of war under international law, though Trump officials since Friday have refused to publicly admit so. 'Well, it's a very friendly blockade. Nobody's even challenging it,' the president justified to reporters on Saturday, despite Iran challenging it.
Keeping U.S. forces in the region beyond the 60-day deadline when Congress still has not authorized action means that Trump has violated the War Powers Resolution, according to Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). 'The Navy is still deployed. It is still blockading Iranian ports, it is still interdicting ships,' the senator told 'Meet the Press' on NBC News. 'There is no exception for the U.S. Navy to the War Powers Act.'
The ongoing blockade continues to strain diplomatic relations and raise questions about the administration's adherence to constitutional war powers.
