Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young said Thursday it was time to “wrap it as quickly as we can” on the war in Iran, arguing that lawmakers should not wait until the end of the fight to get clarity on what comes next. Speaking at Semafor World Economy, Young said he still believed it was important to win the war, which he defined as reopening the Strait of Hormuz and securing Iran’s supply of uranium.
Young said he would “prefer not to wait until the very end to get clarity as to what comes next,” and added that the 60-day mark would give lawmakers an “opportunity for us to articulate any concerns with the plan and tradeoffs and related things.” He said some members would insist on resolving future plans, or even formal authorization, before any vote on a supplemental funding package.
The comments came as the Trump administration and Iran remained at odds over the contours of a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the waterway after nearly 20 hours of peace talks in Islamabad collapsed over Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear program. A two-week ceasefire in Iran began Wednesday in stops and starts, but the path forward is still unsettled.
Young said he would be willing to work with the Trump administration if Congress were asked for formal authorization. He also said lawmakers would use their leverage over the White House before taking a vote on funding. That matters because the War Powers Act is pushing toward a 60-day threshold while the president has already warned Saturday that Iran has 48 hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or reach a peace deal or face new U.S. military strikes on its energy infrastructure.
Young, who did not endorse Trump during the 2024 primary, said he now had a “really positive” relationship with the president. He said Trump has “a certain respect — maybe sometimes a grudging respect — but a certain respect for people who don’t bend the knee consistently, who articulate uncomfortable truths, because there aren’t many around him.”
The political stakes are rising alongside the military ones. Markets are facing volatility as the deadline to launch strikes approaches, and Europe is facing a severe jet fuel shortage. Fatih Birol said there may be “maybe six weeks of jet fuel left.” Young did not predict the next move, but he made his view plain: Congress should force the issue before the war runs into its next deadline.
The question now is not whether lawmakers will eventually have to confront the fight, but whether they will do it before Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum and the 60-day clock collide.