Trump calls Iran conflict ‘small potatoes’ and says he agrees with Vance that it’s not a ‘war’

President Donald Trump downplayed the significance of the ongoing conflict in Iran, referring to it as "small potatoes" during an Oval Office discussion on September 4, 2026. He defended Vice President JD Vance's statement that the intermittent attacks between the U.S. and Iran do not constitute a "war." Trump acknowledged that the U.S. has incurred a cost of over $37.5 billion and lost 18 service members, but downplayed the intensity of the situation, calling it a "military conflict."

Vance, during a press briefing on Thursday, rejected the term "war" and stated that there has been no active shooting, emphasizing that the conflict has been ongoing for six months with no resolution by the November midterm elections. Trump further downplayed the impact of the conflict compared to other U.S. wars, noting that the U.S. has lost fewer lives in the Iran conflict than in Venezuela and Vietnam, and has not deployed troops into Iran.