Ceasefire with Iran ´pauses´ 60-day clock on congressional authorization: Hegseth

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday he believes the ceasefire with Iran "pauses" a 60-day clock on congressional authorization for war, reported Xinhua.

Hegseth made the remarks when asked by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine at a congressional hearing about whether the Trump administration would seek authorization from Congress for the war with Iran on the 60-day mark of the war as required by law.

"Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that. However, we are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire," Hegseth said.

"I do not believe the statute would support that," Kaine said. "I think the 60 days runs (out) maybe tomorrow, and that's going to pose a really important legal question for the administration there."

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, senior commanders, and civilians.

U.S. President Donald Trump notified Congress of the military campaign against Iran on March 2, making May 1 the 60-day milestone at which point the U.S. War Powers Act requires the president to start winding down a war unless he receives congressional authorization, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the "bright future" of the Gulf will be one without the U.S. presence and at the service of the progress, comfort, and welfare of the regional nations.

Khamenei made the remarks in a message marking the Persian Gulf National Day, calling the waterway an "unparalleled divine blessing" for Iran and the Muslim states of the region.

He said that Iran shares a common fate with its neighbors in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, adding that the foreigners, "who greedily commit malicious actions" in the region, will have no place in it, "except at the bottom of its waters."

Khamenei noted that the victory against the United States in the regional waters, which has been achieved on the back of the resistance front's measures and policies and the strategy of a "strong" Iran, will be the beginning of a new order in the region and the world.

He stressed that Iran, which has the longest coastline along the Gulf, has made the greatest sacrifices to ensure the independence of the body of water and counter foreigners and aggressors throughout history.

Noting that two months have passed since the start of the "biggest military campaign and aggression" by world bullies in the region, Khamenei said that a new chapter in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is "taking shape" following the U.S. "ignominious" defeat in its plan against Iran and the region.

He praised Iran's naval forces for their "fortitude, vigilance, and struggles" against the United States and Israel during the 40-day war, emphasizing that the U.S. presence and "nesting" in the Gulf states' territories is now widely regarded as "the most important cause" of insecurity in the region, with the United States and its bases incapable of ensuring their own security.

Khamenei expressed confidence that the Iranian people will guard their national assets, including the country's identity, spiritual, and nuclear and missile capabilities, as they do their sea, land, and air borders.

He underlined that through its management of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will ensure regional security and eliminate the "hostile enemy's abuses," bringing comfort, progress, and economic benefits to all regional nations.

Air defense triggered in parts of Tehran against "small aircraft"

The sound of air defense has been heard in different parts of capital Tehran, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency and Mehr news agency reported Thursday evening.

Tasnim said later that the sound, lasting for some 20 minutes and heard in western, eastern, central, and southern areas of the city, was related to "countering small aircraft and reconnaissance drones."

The sound has stopped and Tehran is now in a normal situation, Tasnim said, without providing more information.

The development came amid a ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel that took effect on April 8 following 40 days of fighting.

Earlier in the day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is ready to continue the path of diplomacy if the U.S. "maximalist" approach stops, whereas Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel "may soon have to return to military action against Iran."

U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins set blazed

A major fire broke out earlier this week on U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins, a mainstay of the U.S. Navy's forward presence in Asia, local media reported Thursday citing U.S. officials.

The fire knocked out electricity and propulsion on the destroyer, one of the officials told CBS News, speaking on condition of anonymity.

No injuries to U.S. service members had been reported as of Wednesday, according to CBS News.

It remains unclear how the fire started, what sections of the warship were damaged, and its exact location.

The Higgins was ported in Singapore as of February, according to Automatic Identification System Marine vessel data.