Tehran Air Defenses Activated as US Signals Defiance on Iran War Deadline
Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars reported that air defenses were heard operating in parts of the capital for around 20 minutes, targeting “small aircraft and reconnaissance drones.” Authorities later said the situation had returned to normal.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Tehran’s air defense systems were activated late Thursday to counter small aircraft and drones, as tensions persisted alongside a growing political standoff in Washington over the war with Iran.
Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars reported that air defenses were heard operating in parts of the capital for around 20 minutes, targeting “small aircraft and reconnaissance drones.” Authorities later said the situation had returned to normal.
The incident came as the administration of US President Donald Trump faced a looming midnight deadline to secure congressional authorization for military action against Iran, raising the prospect of a constitutional clash between the White House and Congress.
US officials argued that the requirement under the War Powers Resolution no longer applied, citing a ceasefire reached earlier this month. “For War Powers Resolution purposes, the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28 have terminated,” a senior administration official told AFP, noting there had been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since the April 7 ceasefire.
Earlier Thursday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the United States had suffered a “shameful defeat,” dismissing warnings from Trump that Washington could impose a prolonged naval blockade.
In a statement read on state television Khamenei declared it now held the upper hand in the crisis.
Meanwhile, global markets reacted sharply to the tensions, with oil prices surging to a four-year high before easing slightly later in the session.