Tehran : The Iranian government has stepped up operations to recover missiles and various munitions that were "hidden underground or buried in rubble" following aerial bombardments by the United States and Israel, according to a report by NBC News. Citing a US official and two additional sources acquainted with the situation, the report indicates that Tehran is leveraging the current cessation of hostilities to "quickly rebuild its drone and missile capabilities".
The recovery efforts are focused on extracting weaponry previously concealed or submerged under debris caused by the strikes. US officials reportedly believe these actions are intended to ensure Iran is prepared to "launch attacks across the Middle East" should President Donald Trump opt to restart military engagements.
According to NBC News, the push to excavate these strategic assets is viewed as a move to restore offensive capacity in anticipation of any future shifts in the regional security landscape. This clandestine rearmament effort follows a sharp diplomatic escalation at the United Nations, where Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's Permanent Representative, hit back at six Arab nations. Iravani alleged their complicity in military actions, stating those countries participated in aggression by "placing at the disposal of the US-Israeli enemy the military bases located on their soil, from which airstrikes were launched against Iran."
Defending Tehran's military responses as a "legitimate right to self-defense, as stipulated in the UN Charter", Iravani cautioned that nations allowing the use of their "bases, airspace, territorial waters, or soil to attack Iran are responsible and must be held accountable." He further sought to distance Tehran from the initial spark of the conflict, remarking that "Iran was not the initiator of the conflict and war."
This diplomatic friction coincides with assertions from the Donald Trump administration that the United States is "not at war" with Iran, even as the deadlock continues to push global oil prices to a historic high. The remarks from Washington come as a critical legal deadline approaches under the US War Powers Act, which mandates congressional consent for sustained military operations. White House officials maintain that the current ceasefire effectively "pauses" the 60-day legal clock for seeking such authorisation.
Supporting this stance, US House Speaker Mike Johnson told NBC News, "I don't think we have an active, kinetic military bombing, firing, or anything like that. Right now, we are trying to broker a peace." Johnson added that he would be "very reluctant to get in front of the administration" during sensitive negotiations. Similarly, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth informed lawmakers that the cessation of hostilities "pauses" the clock.
When questioned by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine regarding the May 1 deadline, Hegseth remarked, "Ultimately, I would defer to the White House and White House counsel on that. However, we are in a ceasefire right now, which, in our understanding, means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire." The conflict originally commenced on 28 February following joint US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
President Trump formally notified Congress of the campaign on 2 March, establishing 1 May as the milestone for the War Powers Act. However, Democratic lawmakers have challenged this legal interpretation, with Senator Kaine stating, "I do not believe the statute would support that."
Despite these challenges and a failed Senate resolution to limit executive authority, Republican control of the House and the threat of a presidential veto continue to hamper efforts to conclude the hostilities.
Senator Adam Schiff, noting the loss of thirteen service members, declared that with the 60-day mark arriving, "the price we have paid is already too high."