Hostilities passed 60 days

US government watchdogs begin Iran war oversight after deciding hostilities passed 60 days

By Natasha Bertrand

The Pentagon, State Department and USAID inspectors general have launched a joint review of the US war with Iran, announcing in a press release Wednesday that they are mandated by law to probe overseas military operations that exceed 60 days.

The announcement is significant because it indicates that the watchdogs believe that, legally, the war has lasted more than 60 days from its commencement on February 28. Under the War Powers Act, the president is prohibited from keeping US troops in active hostilities for more than 60 days without congressional approval.

The administration never sought such approval for Operation Epic Fury, the name the US gave to its military campaign against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last month that it was his understanding that the 60-day clock on the war “reset” when President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in April.

Days later on May 12, however, the Pentagon’s inspector general, Platte B. Moring III, was appointed by the chair of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to be the lead inspector general for Operation Epic Fury, according to his office.

Hegseth’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said this week that the United States’ war with Iran is “over,” even though the US and Iran have continued to trade missile and drone attacks over the last several days.