President Trump extended negotiations with Iran by 10 days and paused his threat to bomb Iranian energy facilities, posting on Truth Social that talks are "going very well." The extension came as Trump's administration, working through mediators Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey, requested Tehran hold high-level meetings this week to discuss ending the conflict.
Trump has been carefully avoiding calling the military action in Iran a "war," instead using terms like "military operation" and "military decimation." He acknowledged that using "war" terminology could trigger congressional approval requirements his administration says it doesn't need, despite the conflict costing hundreds of lives and billions of dollars.
The OECD projects the Middle East conflict will drive U.S. inflation to 4.2% this year, up 1.2 percentage points from December forecasts. Energy price surges from the conflict are expected to pressure central banks to raise interest rates or delay cuts, even as economic growth weakens to 2% in the U.S.
The semantic debate reflects broader tensions over war powers between Trump and Congress. Lawmakers have failed to limit Trump's military authority in Iran, while the administration has dismissed the War Powers Resolution as unconstitutional. The Pentagon is reportedly developing "final blow" options including ground forces if diplomatic talks fail.