President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran has terminated during an address to the U.S. Congress [1].

The announcement comes as the administration faces a congressional war-powers deadline, placing the future of military engagement and diplomatic stability in the Middle East at a critical juncture [1].

While the formal agreement has ended, Trump said he wants to keep diplomatic channels open to avoid further escalation. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, "I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue" [2]. This suggests a strategy of maintaining a flexible diplomatic posture even without a formal truce in place.

Reports regarding the exact status of the agreement vary. Some sources indicate the ceasefire ended specifically as the war-powers deadline arrived [1]. Other reports describe the situation as more precarious, with Trump saying the ceasefire is on "life support" but that the parties can keep talking [3].

In contrast to these reports, some outlets suggested the U.S. was indefinitely extending the ceasefire [1]. However, the president's own statements to Congress and his discussions with Israeli leadership indicate that the formal agreement has reached its conclusion.

Trump has not detailed the specific terms of any future negotiations or the immediate military posture of the U.S. following the termination. The shift marks a transition from a structured pause in hostilities to a period of uncertain diplomacy, one where the lack of a formal agreement increases the risk of miscalculation between the two nations.

“"The cease-fire has terminated."”

The termination of the cease-fire, coinciding with the congressional war-powers deadline, removes the formal legal and military guardrails that prevented direct conflict. By asserting that negotiations can still proceed, the administration is attempting to balance a 'maximum pressure' stance with a diplomatic off-ramp to prevent an all-out war while navigating domestic legislative constraints on military action.