Trump signs NDAA repealing 1991 and 2002 Iraq AUMFs, 2001 AUMF survives

President Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026, which includes a provision repealing the 1991 Authorization for Use of Military Force that authorized the Gulf War and the 2002 AUMF that authorized the Iraq War. The repeal of both Iraq AUMFs removes legal justifications that presidents had used for decades to authorize military operations in the Middle East. Critically, the 2001 AUMF authorizing force against al-Qaeda and associated forces is not repealed. Legal scholars note that neither Iraq AUMF had any plausible application to Iran, meaning the repeal does nothing to constrain the president''s claimed authority to strike Iran. Two months later, Trump orders strikes on Iran without citing either Iraq AUMF.