"America did not start a war with Iran.": Trump turns Veterans Day speech into a defense of his actions

President Donald Trump spoke at the Arlington National Cemetery on Veterans Day. However, he turned his speech that was meant to be for veterans and their families into one where he defended his actions regarding the Iran War.

Not only did the president allege that the United States did not initiate the war with Iran, but he also stated that Iran has been waging war on the United States.

What Trump said regarding the Iran War

As Fox News reported, President Donald Trump turned his Veterans Day speech into one about his actions and Iran. The Iran war began on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel launched surprise, large-scale joint airstrikes against military, nuclear, and leadership targets inside Iran.

On February 27, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump authorized Operation Epic Fury. Simultaneously, Israel launched its campaign, codenamed Operation Roaring Lion (or Lion's Roar). Then, on February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces carried out hundreds of heavy missile and drone strikes hitting roughly 500 to 900 military targets across Iran.

Thus, it has been well-known that the United States, along with Israel, did start the war in Iran. However, during his Veterans Day speech, the president said:

"America did not start a war with Iran."

He continued:

"Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. They should have been taken care of a long time ago. And it was just about time somebody fought back. All of us fought back. We fought back, and we fought back. We won. Now the question is when we want to end. We must have a total victory. Not a 93% victory. It's going to be total."

Moreover, Trump said that although the conflict had lasted around seven months, active fighting had taken place for only a few weeks. He did acknowledge the American lives lost during the war, stating that 18 service members had died. He expressed confidence that the conflict would end soon, adding that its conclusion would make the world safer, more peaceful, and freer from the threats the United States had faced.

While some of the speech paid respect to veterans and lives lost at war, Trump's speech is getting criticized by netizens because of the tone and detour it took. People are not taking it lightly that the president of a country chose to defend his actions and deny that America started the war in Iran.

Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have also moved away from the possibility of escalating military action against Iran after the midterm elections. On November 10, 2026, Rubio said:

"We don't need to conduct military strikes if we're achieving the same objective through economic means and economic pressure."

Rubio also dismissed claims that the two countries were locked in a stalemate, maintaining that sanctions, the U.S. naval blockade and other measures were gradually putting pressure on Tehran and weakening its position.

Stay tuned for more updates on the matter.

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