Day 60: War Powers Deadline Expires, UAE Quits OPEC, Gulf Leaders Convene as Iran Blockade Stalemate Deepens

Day 60 of the Iran War marked a constitutional threshold — the War Powers Resolution 60-day deadline — with Trump showing no intention of seeking congressional authorisation. The United Arab Emirates announced its formal withdrawal from OPEC and OPEC+, shocking energy markets already strained by the Strait of Hormuz dual blockade with oil near $120. Gulf leaders held emergency consultations in Riyadh as the UN Secretary-General formally called for Hormuz to reopen. Iran's Armed Forces declared they remained "in war situation." Trump reviewed Iran's latest Hormuz-without-nukes proposal but rejected it as insufficient on the nuclear file.

April 28, 2026 — Day 60 of the Iran War — saw three simultaneous pressure points: a constitutional deadline the White House chose to ignore, a seismic shift in Gulf energy politics, and a diplomatic stalemate that showed no sign of resolution. ## War Powers Resolution: The 60-Day Threshold Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a US president must obtain congressional authorisation or begin withdrawing forces within 60 days of committing them to hostilities. April 28 marked precisely 60 days since Trump launched airstrikes on Iran on February 28, 2026. The White House showed no sign of seeking a congressional authorisation vote. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated the administration believed the operation fell within the president's constitutional authority as commander-in-chief. Democrats accelerated calls for a formal war powers debate, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling the deadline "a constitutional moment the President is choosing to ignore." Defense Secretary Hegseth was scheduled to face the House Armed Services Committee the following day, with the Senate appearance set for the day after — both hearings expected to be dominated by the war powers question. The War Powers Resolution also provides a 30-day withdrawal period after the 60-day threshold, giving the administration until approximately late May before a harder legal cliff. Republican senators privately expressed anxiety but declined to break ranks on any formal authorisation vote. ## UAE Exits OPEC In a move that stunned energy markets, the United Arab Emirates formally notified OPEC of its withdrawal from the cartel and the broader OPEC+ coalition, effective immediately. The UAE had long been OPEC's most fractious member, repeatedly pushing to raise its output ceiling above its allocated quota. An Emirati energy expert framed the decision bluntly: the country had "evolved economically beyond its need for" the cartel's framework. The exit removed one of the Gulf's most consequential swing producers from coordinated output constraints at a moment of maximum market sensitivity. With Brent crude already approaching $120 per barrel due to the dual Hormuz blockade, the UAE's move raised the prospect of additional Gulf supply entering markets. Saudi Arabia declined immediate comment. OPEC's secretariat confirmed receipt of the UAE's notification. Markets interpreted the exit as ambiguous — potentially bearish on supply grounds, but also revealing deeper Gulf fractures at a critical moment. ## Gulf Leaders Emergency Consultations Heads of state and senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman convened for emergency consultations in Riyadh, focused on the economic and security fallout from the protracted US-Iran standoff. The unannounced meeting was confirmed by multiple Gulf diplomatic sources cited by Arab News. Gulf states urged both Washington and Tehran to allow "safe passage for commercial vessels" and reiterated calls for Pakistan-mediated ceasefire negotiations to resume. Saudi officials privately expressed frustration that the dual blockade was costing Gulf exporters billions in delayed revenues even as headline oil prices rose — a paradox of surging prices with restricted transit capacity. ## UN Calls for Hormuz to Reopen UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a formal statement calling on "all parties" to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, describing the dual blockade as "an unprecedented threat to global commerce and energy security." The UN Security Council held a closed-door emergency session; no resolution was tabled given the near-certain US veto of any measure constraining American military operations. CENTCOM confirmed that US naval forces had directed 42 ships to turn around or return to port since the blockade was imposed on April 13 — a number that had grown steadily each day. ## Iran: "Still in War Situation" Iran's Armed Forces General Staff issued a statement declaring the military was "still in war situation" and maintaining full combat readiness. Iranian officials briefed state media that domestic fuel supplies remained stable despite the blockade, with the government redirecting oil through overland routes via Iraq and Turkey. IRNA reported that Iran's counter-blockade of the Strait's southern end remained in force, with IRGC vessels continuing to shadow international shipping. ## Trump Reviews Iran's Peace Proposal President Trump spent the day reviewing Iran's latest proposal — the Hormuz-without-nukes framework floated through Pakistani intermediaries on April 27 — alongside National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. Administration officials told reporters it was being "looked at seriously" but remained short of the threshold for US acceptance. Rubio reiterated the core US demand: Iran must provide "an unambiguous commitment not to seek, develop, or acquire nuclear weapons or the means to quickly achieve one." Iran's proposal to defer nuclear discussions was fundamentally incompatible with this position. ## Eastern Perspectives Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the US blockade as "an act of economic warfare against a sovereign nation" and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. China's Foreign Ministry reiterated its call for "unconditional and immediate" reopening of the Strait, with spokesperson Lin Jian warning the disruption was "pushing the global economy toward recession." TASS cited Iranian parliamentarians accusing Washington of pursuing "a strategy of economic strangulation" rather than genuine peace. India's The Hindu flagged that New Delhi was "urgently exploring" emergency oil purchase agreements with non-Hormuz suppliers.