US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has argued that the clock has paused on a deadline for the Trump administration to seek approval from Congress for the US-Israeli war with Iran. Hegseth was responding to questions from members of the Senate, or upper chamber, on Thursday. Friday is the 60th day since Trump formally notified Congress of the strikes against Iran on 2 March. US law requires a president to “terminate any use of United States Armed Forces” within 60 days of such a notification - unless Congress allows a continuation. A senior administration official said hostilities with Iran had “terminated”, emphasising that a ceasefire had been in effect since early April. Despite the ceasefire, the two sides have not yet reached a longer-term deal via talks, though efforts to end the stalemate appear to be underway.