Trump Tells Congress Iran War Scope Is "Too Early to Tell" as Strikes Widen to Beirut

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Six US service members are dead. Israel has bombed both Tehran and Beirut. Trump says the campaign could run five weeks. Congress was notified - not consulted. The war is no longer contained to one country.

President Trump dispatched a formal notification to Congress Tuesday night telling lawmakers it is "too early to tell" the full scope of US military operations against Iran - even as his administration confirmed six American service members have been killed and warned the campaign could stretch another five weeks.

The dual-front war expanded sharply in the last 24 hours. Israeli jets struck targets in both Tehran and Beirut overnight, opening a third urban theater in a conflict that began with US bombers hitting Iran's nuclear sites six days ago. CNN reported explosions across the Lebanese capital; Israeli officials confirmed the Beirut strikes targeted Hezbollah command infrastructure.

The president's War Powers notification - legally required within 48 hours of committing forces to hostilities - offered no timeline, no exit criteria, and no definition of what success looks like. In a statement that drew immediate criticism from both parties, Trump wrote the situation remains "fluid" and that he retains authority to expand or intensify the operation without further congressional input.

The 5-Week Warning

CBS News reported Trump separately told senior Republicans the air campaign against Iran's military infrastructure could require up to five weeks to complete. The figure alarmed moderate GOP senators who had expected a short, decisive operation. Senator Tillis of North Carolina is now threatening to stall Senate business if the administration does not provide a clear strategic briefing.

The White House has not officially confirmed the five-week estimate. But administration officials speaking to reporters on background said targets inside Iran remain "extensive" and that Iran's dispersed air defense network requires sustained degradation before any end state is achievable.

That statement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth now sits awkwardly against the five-week projection. Hegseth made the remark to reassure skeptics that the administration had no appetite for occupation. But an air campaign lasting over a month - with casualties mounting and no authorization from Congress - is a harder sell by the day.

Beirut Burns Again

The strikes on Beirut represent the sharpest escalation since the war began. Lebanon was not among the originally stated targets of Operation Epic Fury. Israel is conducting the Beirut strikes independently - but Washington has not condemned them. The absence of US objection is being read by allies and adversaries alike as tacit coordination.

Hezbollah has yet to issue a formal military response to the Beirut strikes. Security officials in three Gulf states told regional media that Iran-aligned forces are "repositioning" across southern Lebanon and Syria.

Congress Is Not Happy

Multiple senior Democrats and at least four Republican senators have called the strikes "acts of war unauthorized by Congress." The constitutional question is straightforward: only Congress can formally declare war. Trump's reliance on presidential authority has been challenged before - but never with six body bags and a five-week timeline.

The Guardian reported that Democratic leadership plans to introduce a War Powers Resolution this week demanding Trump halt offensive operations within 60 days unless Congress votes to authorize them. Whether it passes is another question. The Senate majority has signaled no appetite for a floor fight that could embarrass the president during active combat.

The BBC published a detailed explainer Tuesday night asking a question no one in Washington wants to answer directly: Did Trump declare war? The legal and political verdict is still being written.

One in Four

A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Monday found just 25 percent of Americans support the US strikes on Iran. That number carries weight. It is historically low for a military operation in its first week - lower than public support for any major US military action since the 2003 Iraq invasion at its most divisive. Trump is trying, according to the New York Times, to quiet claims among his own supporters that Israel maneuvered the US into this war. The MAGA base is not uniformly behind him on this one.

The next 72 hours are the critical window. If Iran launches a mass-casualty retaliation - against US bases, Gulf oil infrastructure, or Israeli cities - the calculus changes entirely. If it stays contained to the current exchange, Trump may be able to frame a pause as victory. But six dead Americans and no authorization from Congress is not a stable political position to hold for five weeks.