Trump declares Iran war "terminated" – but Iranian officials say otherwise

Washington DC - President Donald Trump recently attempted to declare an end to his war with Iran, but Iranian officials are not buying it.

President Donald Trump recently attempted to call an end to the Iran war, but Iranian officials responded by saying "renewed conflict" is likely.   © Jim WATSON / AFP

According to Axios, Trump sent a letter on Friday to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to notify him of the end of hostilities with Iran.

"On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between United States forces and Iran since April 7, 2026," the president wrote.

"The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated."

Megyn Kelly comes to Jimmy Kimmel's defense in Trump feud over "widow" Melania joke: "Free speech!"
Donald Trump Megyn Kelly comes to Jimmy Kimmel's defense in Trump feud over "widow" Melania joke: "Free speech!"

The AFP reports that Trump also told reporters on Friday that he was "not satisfied" with negotiations with Iran's new leadership, which he said was plagued with "tremendous discord."

On Saturday morning, a senior figure in the Iranian military's central command said "a renewed conflict between Iran and the United States is likely," arguing that evidence shows the US "is not committed to any promises or agreements."

Trump's letter came ahead of a deadline on Friday, which would have marked 60 days of the war, and required the president to seek congressional approval to continue the conflict under the War Powers Act.

Axios notes that by declaring the war "terminated," Trump is "effectively resetting the clock – potentially making it more difficult for Congress to challenge his authority or constrain further action through a war powers resolution."

Ad

The effort to end the war comes as the conflict has grown unpopular with Americans. This likely has much to do with it leading to a spike in prices on gas and other goods, which has in turn caused Trump's polling to tank.