Trump says Iran conflict is ‘small potatoes’, agrees with Vance it’s not a war

US President Donald Trump has described the ongoing military confrontation involving Iran as “small potatoes” for the United States, while agreeing with Vice President JD Vance that the situation should not necessarily be labelled a “war”.

Trump was responding to comments made by Vance a day earlier. The vice president had argued that the repeated US strikes on Iranian targets did not fit the conventional understanding of a war, citing the intermittent nature of the military action.

Asked about Vance’s position during an exchange with reporters in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said he understood the argument and referred to the situation as a “military conflict”.

“I can understand what he’s saying,” Trump said.

‘Small potatoes’ for the US

Trump said US strikes against Iran had become “intermittent” and sought to emphasise that he viewed the conflict as limited in scale.

“I call it a military conflict because it’s small potatoes for us. It’s not a big thing,” Trump said.

His remarks effectively backed Vance’s attempt to distinguish the ongoing operations from a conventional war, even as US military action against Iran continues.

Vance had made the argument on Thursday, saying the campaign should not automatically be described as a war because the attacks have occurred intermittently.

Cost and casualties remain significant

Despite Trump’s description of the conflict, the US involvement has involved substantial financial and military costs.

According to the Associated Press, the conflict has cost US taxpayers more than $37.5 billion. Eighteen US service members have also been killed since the fighting began.

Trump’s comments have therefore drawn attention to the contrast between his description of the military campaign and the resources committed by Washington, along with the reported US military deaths.

US strikes against Iran continue

The Trump administration has continued intermittent military strikes against Iranian targets, with tensions in the region remaining high.

By referring to the situation as a “military conflict” rather than a war, Trump has echoed the administration’s broader position that the US is carrying out limited operations rather than fighting an all-out conventional war.

The terminology surrounding the conflict remains a point of debate as American military operations continue.