Video from a statement by Donald Trump
President Trump answers a reporter's question about whether the conflict with Iran is a war, at an executive order signing in the Oval Office, Sept. 4, 2026.
Excerpt from about 25:29 to 29:54 of the White House video of the event. The C-SPAN recording cited for this source shows the same exchange. DI added its logo in the corner.
Video: The White House. Public domain (U.S. government work) (opens in a new tab)
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Clip of Trump's Oval Office exchange with reporters, September 4, 2026)
Asked what the fighting is if it is not a war, Trump said he calls it "a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us." He said the strikes are intermittent, that he could understand what Vance was saying, and that he could "see somebody not calling it a war."
“Well, I'll tell you what, a lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict because it's small potatoes for us. It's not a big thing. ... So I can understand what he's saying. It's a military conflict, but it's very intermittent. I could see somebody not calling it a war.”