Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) criticized President Donald Trump for remarks about ending the Iran war, arguing that the Constitution bars the executive branch from waging war without congressional authorization.
Massie Challenges Trump’s Iran War Remarks
On Wednesday, Massie shared a clip on X of Trump discussing the Iran war at a campaign event, questioning the legal authority behind the military action.
“When will the war in Iran end? Whenever I want it to end,” Massie wrote, paraphrasing Trump’s remarks. “So much for the legal fiction that it isn’t a war.”
Massie argued that “U.S. law and the Constitution prohibit the Executive branch from fighting a war that isn’t declared or authorized by Congress.”
Trump Says Iran War Will End on His Terms
In the clip, Trump said the conflict “could be over whenever I wanted to be over.”
“Somebody asked me before, when will the war in Iran end? I said, whenever I want it to end,” he said.
He added that the conflict needed to end “properly,” with a guarantee that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.
Iran Signals Openness to Talks as Trump Defends War
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran remained open to negotiations and was working with intermediaries to accelerate its seven-day plan, but stressed that Iran’s conditions needed to be met.
He also warned that further Israeli-led military action could disrupt global energy markets.
On Tuesday, Trump said Iran wanted a deal but maintained that Washington controlled when the war would end.
He said U.S. strikes had weakened Iran’s military and finances, speculated that Tehran might be waiting for the November midterm elections and said “anything’s possible” when asked about further strikes.
Iran War Costs Exceed $47 Billion
Trump’s war against Iran had cost the U.S. military more than $47 billion, exceeding Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s July estimate by over 25%, according to reported Pentagon data.
The military is expected to spend more than $29 billion replacing munitions and another $6 billion replacing lost equipment.
Lawmakers warned about the growing taxpayer burden, while the Congressional Budget Office projected that higher energy prices linked to the conflict would increase inflation.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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