‘Small potatoes’: US President Trump downplays war on Iran

As the United States and Israel's war on Iran enters its seventh month with no clear end in sight, President Donald Trump has become the latest US official to downplay the conflict.

Key points

• "It's not a big thing, " Trump remarked, comparing strikes on Iran with other US military campaigns, including the January 3 operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
• His remarks came at an Oval Office signing event, where reporters asked him to weigh in on remarks from Vice President JD Vance.
• Since the war began on February 28, Trump has applied various phrases to avoid calling the conflict a war.
• In August, Trump pledged on Truth Social to pursue the "MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY".
• Natanz was bombed in June 2025 and again during the current war.

On Friday, Trump remarked the conflict. It has resulted in the deaths of 18 US service members and a spike in global energy costs, is "small potatoes".

"We did Venezuela, and we did this. In Venezuela, we lost nobody. In this, we lost 18 individuals."

For context, a day earlier, at a White House news briefing, Vance appeared to suggest the conflict had cooled, despite a recent exchange of intense fire between US and Iranian forces.

"I wouldn't call it a war. Right now, there is no active shooting, " Vance remarked, arguing that major combat operations only lasted six weeks. He then continued, "I recognise there have been places where this has flared up."

Trump on Friday remarked to journalists there was "a lot of truth" to what Vance stated. He opted to brand the fighting as a "military conflict".

"We do intermittent strikes, " Trump remarked, adding: "We're not fighting right now. There's no fighting. We're taking out a lot of oil. We control the Hormuz Strait. We control it particularly strongly."

Previously, he has called the fighting with Iran a "little skirmish", a "little detour" and a "little excursion, a couple of weeks, few weeks of excursion".

"It's an excursion that will keep us out of a war, " Trump remarked in March.

Experts say such terminology is probable strategic. The Trump administration has faced pushback for not seeking congressional approval before launching its strikes on Iran.

Though successive presidencies have taken unilateral military actions without the legislature's approval, the US Constitution grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war. Legal scholars have repeatedly questioned the legality of those manoeuvres.

In June, both chambers of Congress passed a war powers resolution, calling on Trump to either stop his military campaign against Iran or seek congressional authorisation for it.

Though it did signal growing bipartisan opposition to Trump's war on Iran, the resolution was largely symbolic.

As the conflict enters its seventh month, it remains widely unpopular in the US.

In practice, a poll published on Monday by the Reuters news agency and the research firm Ipsos identified that almost six in 10 US adults disapproved of the military strikes on Iran.

As the midterm elections approach in November, and peace discussions remain deadlocked, the president's remarks appear designed to minimise the conflict's impact throughout the world.

For context, the war has led to attacks throughout the Middle East, and fuel costs remain high. In the US, the American Automobile Association (AAA) notes the average fuel rate is $4.15 per gallon (3.8 litres), up almost a dollar from last year.

Notably, the Trump administration, nevertheless, has long argued the war and its effects would be short-term.

It has additionally signalled that it intends to double down on its economic pressure campaign against Iran. It has long faced US sanctions.

This week, his administration confirmed new sanctions aimed at cutting off the country's access to the international financial system.

On Friday, Trump additionally did not rule out further attacks, suggesting the US may "very soon" strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, a military site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. Natanz was bombed in June 2025 and again during the current war.

Notably, a recent exchange of strikes this month resulted in Iran firing on US military bases throughout the Middle East. The US, meanwhile, was accused by the Iranian administration of bombing a wedding celebration in the coastal city of Sirik, killing at least four residents.

While the future of the conflict is uncertain, Trump remarked he was pleased with its progress.

"I don't think it matters what you call it, " Trump remarked. "What matters is you've had tremendous success."

Taken together, the developments around 'Small potatoes': US President Trump downplays war on Iran point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.