Trump downplays US-Iran conflict as 'small potatoes' amid claims of no active shooting
US President Donald Trump has downplayed the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, describing it as "small potatoes" and "not a big thing" during remarks at the White House. His comments came as the confrontation entered its seventh month, with no clear end in sight and with the administration continuing to frame the fighting in narrower terms than a full war. Trump said the United States was carrying out "intermittent strikes" and insisted, "We're not fighting right now.
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There's no fighting." He also said the US was "taking out a lot of oil" and claimed Washington "controls the Hormuz Strait" very strongly. His remarks followed a day after Vice President JD Vance told a White House briefing that he would not call the situation a war and that there was "no active shooting" at present. Vance said major combat operations had lasted six weeks, while acknowledging that there had been places where the conflict had flared up.
Trump said there was "a lot of truth" to Vance's assessment. The president made the comments at an Oval Office signing event, where reporters asked him about the vice president's description of the fighting. The remarks are the latest example of the administration avoiding the word "war" when referring to the campaign against Iran.
The language matters because the conflict has already had significant consequences, including the deaths of 18 US service members and a spike in global energy prices, according to the supplied material. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping route for global oil supplies, so any claim of control over it carries wider economic and security implications. By presenting the fighting as limited and intermittent, the administration appears to be signalling that it sees the confrontation as contained, even as it continues.
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The supplied material says the war began on 28 February and that the Trump administration has previously used other terms such as a "little skirmish", a "little detour" and a "little excursion" to describe it. It also notes that experts view this terminology as strategic, particularly amid criticism that the administration did not seek congressional approval before launching strikes on Iran. Under the US Constitution, Congress holds the power to declare war, although presidents have often ordered military action without formal legislative approval.
What remains unclear is how long the current pause in active shooting may last and whether the intermittent strikes will continue or intensify. The supplied material also refers to earlier flare-ups and to a recent exchange of intense fire between US and Iranian forces, but does not provide further operational detail. The next developments to watch are whether the administration offers a fuller legal justification for its actions and whether the conflict produces another escalation in energy markets or military activity.
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