Did Trump bypass Congress and Pentagon to attack Iran nuclear sites? Reports suggest so

The United States on Saturday (Jun 21) officially entered the war in the Middle East as it bombed three nuclear sites inside Iran. Taking to his Truth Social profile, US President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites. He said that a "full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow". As per reports, this dramatic escalation of the Israel-Iran war was done by Trump without authorisation from the US Congress and the Pentagon. But did he have the authority to do so? Or did Trump overreach his authority as the POTUS?

Trump's post on successful strikes

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that the US has “completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.” He added that “all planes are now outside of Iran air space" and were “on their way home”.

“A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,” he said while congratulating “our great American Warriors,” and noting that “There is not another military in the world that could have done this.”

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”

What does the US Constitution say about war?

As per the US Constitution, the President of the United States, be it Trump or another, must go to Congress before declaring war on any nation. As per Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution, “[The Congress shall have Power …] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water…”

However, it must be noted that the US Congress has not declared war in over 80 years – since World War II. Yet, the US has been part of many wars, including the Afghanistan War, officially known as Operation Enduring Freedom, which happens to be the longest war in US history (from 2001 to 2021).

Watch | US Strikes Iran | Iran media: US now a legitimate target as US conducts strikes in Iran

So how did Trump authorise war efforts?

In the decades since WW2, American presidents have sent troops and missiles into foreign conflicts again and again without a new declaration. For this, they lean on existing authorisations. Chief among them: the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed just days after the September 11 attacks.

As per CNN, this single resolution has been used to justify military operations in at least 15 countries across the world.