Was Trump legally authorized to bomb Iran? DOJ answers
Jun 23, 2025 06:24 AM IST
A senior Justice Department official has noted that Donald Trump conducted the strikes against Iran under his Article II constitutional powers, in consultation with the White House counsel and the Justice Department. While the president does have broad authority to order the use of military force and to advance other national interests under Article II of the Constitution, Congress has the authority to declare war under Article I. Was Trump legally authorized to bomb Iran? DOJ answers(AP)
According to the DOJ official, President Trump is also relying on memos written by the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel under administrations of both parties, as reported by CNN. They added that if the conflict continues for a long period, the administration might need Congress' approval. However, they noted that 'bombing three nuclear sites' does not require congressional approval under Article I, and as the Trump administration has the backing of senior officials in the House and Senate, the White House is confident it is on solid legal ground.
Previously, a White House official told CNN that Trump used 'his legal authority as commander in chief' to order the strikes on Iran.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to testify before the House. She is expected to be questioned about the issue, and could reiterate Trump's dependency on his Article II powers and the earlier memos from the Office of Legal Counsel. The US' bombing of Iran
Trump recently announced that the US had launched strikes against three Iranian nuclear sites. The decision to involve the US directly came after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran. In a Truth Social post, Trump previously wrote, 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.'
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