U.S. and Iranian forces exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian forces targeted American destroyers and the U.S. responded with strikes on Iranian military assets, per The Bulwark (May 8). Active combat at sea — and the administration is calling it a ceasefire.
Said Trump, per The Bulwark's Tim Miller: the exchange was a "love tap" and the ceasefire remains "intact." That framing isn't spin for Tehran — it's spin for Congress. If it's a love tap, it's not hostilities. If it's not hostilities, the War Powers Clock doesn't start.
The play here: hold oil markets steady, avoid a floor vote on authorizing force, and keep the conflict legally ambiguous long enough to negotiate or escalate on Trump's timeline. Congress should be demanding a legal classification in writing — today. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20 percent of global oil trade. "Love tap" is doing a lot of work.