Congressman proposes July deadline for Trump’s Iran war powers

A Republican congressman introduced legislation that would authorize President Donald Trump to continue military action against Iran until July 30, while barring US ground troops, occupation or long-term nation-building.

Congressman Tom Barrett said the bill, an Authorization for Use of Military Force, would give Trump a clear mandate to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program, prevent threats to Americans, maintain the blockade of Iranian ports and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for US and allied ships.

“The Commander in Chief has the sole authority to lead our troops in wartime, but I’ve lost too many friends on the battlefield to allow that to happen without Congress being involved,” Barrett wrote on X.

He said the measure would allow Trump “until July 30th to defeat Iran’s nuclear weapons program without putting a single American boot on the ground.”

The proposed authorization would require the administration to report to Congress every 30 days on military operations, civilian and military casualties, and the legal and policy basis for each action.

Barrett, an Army veteran who served in the Middle East, said Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon but warned against another open-ended war.

“If we don’t learn from our foreign policy failures of the past, we are bound to repeat them,” he said. “My AUMF will ensure that if we continue military action in Iran, we do so with clear eyes and a deadline-driven objective.”