U.S. President Donald Trump described the conflict with Iran as a “small matter” and defended remarks by his vice president, J.D. Vance, who said that the attacks in the Middle East over the past several months do not constitute a “war.”
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday, Trump said that U.S. attacks on Iran are now taking place “occasionally” and that many people do not consider it a war.
The conflict has so far cost U.S. taxpayers more than $37.5 billion, while 18 U.S. service members have also been killed.
Trump said: “A lot of people don’t call it a war. I call it a military conflict, because for us, it’s not a very major issue.”
On Thursday, Vance rejected the use of the word “war” to describe the U.S. conflict with Iran during a White House press briefing. He also declined to predict whether the conflict would end before the congressional midterm elections in November.
In these elections, Republicans are seeking to maintain their majority in Congress.