Trump calls the Iran war — which has left 18 U.S. service members dead — ‘small potatoes’ and backs Vance’s view that it’s not a war

On Friday, President Donald Trump referred to the ongoing conflict in Iran as "small potatoes" while defending Vice President JD Vance's claim that the ongoing attacks in the region are not a "war." During an Oval Office exchange, Trump stated that the U.S. strikes on Iran are currently "intermittent" and that many people do not consider it a war. The conflict has incurred costs exceeding $37.5 billion and has resulted in the deaths of 18 U.S. service members.

Vance, in a White House press briefing earlier in the week, rejected the term "war" to describe the U.S. fighting with Iran, emphasizing that there is currently no active shooting. He did not foresee the 6-month conflict ending before the November midterm elections, which Republicans are striving to maintain their slim majority in Congress.

Trump, in his exchange with reporters, noted that the U.S. death toll in the Iran conflict is comparatively lower than in other recent U.S. wars, including those in Venezuela and Vietnam. He highlighted that the U.S. and Israel have only conducted air strikes in the Iran war, with no deployment of troops into the country. Trump also mentioned that following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, no lives were lost, and in the Vietnam War, 100,000 American lives were lost.

When asked to describe the conflict as "small potatoes" when 18 U.S. service members have been killed, Trump reiterated his argument that the conflict has led to the limitation of Iran's nuclear program. He stated, "Iran will not have a nuclear weapon because if they did you probably wouldn’t be standing here."