Trump Claims US Has Won War on Iran, Says Ending It Is a Matter of Timing

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump defended the ongoing US war on Iran during Wednesday’s Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, declaring that Washington had already secured victory and that the only remaining question was when to bring the conflict to an end, The Independent reported.

Speaking at the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater, Trump shifted toward defending the military campaign near the end of his address, which had largely focused on honoring American veterans.

“America did not start a war with Iran. Iran has been waging war in America since 1979. This should have been taken care of a long time ago,” Trump said.

He claimed that US forces had already won the conflict but insisted that Washington wanted to achieve what he described as a “total victory” rather than settle for a partial outcome.

The remarks came amid growing political pressure on the administration following recent elections, in which Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress. Trump previously acknowledged that the war had influenced the election results.

According to an Associated Press Election Day survey, approximately six in 10 voters believed the decision to use military force against Iran was wrong.

A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll also found widespread opposition to the conflict, with 71% of respondents supporting congressional legislation to end the war. Support included 93% of Democrats and 51% of Republicans.

The four-day survey, completed on Monday, highlighted growing public pressure on Washington to end the military campaign and reverse Trump’s tariffs amid concerns over rising living costs.

The conflict has contributed to a sharp increase in fuel prices, adding to inflationary pressures already associated with tariffs on hundreds of imported goods. Trump has defended the war as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, while arguing that his trade policies would strengthen American industry.

During his remarks, Trump claimed that US forces had inflicted extensive damage on Iran, while acknowledging American casualties. He again predicted that the war would end “soon,” repeating an assertion he has made since the spring without providing supporting evidence.

“It’ll take them 25 years to rebuild back what we have destroyed, and hopefully we won’t have to destroy any more of that country,” he said.

Speaking near the graves of American service members killed in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Trump also reflected on previous US military interventions, arguing that Washington had gained little from those conflicts despite their enormous human and financial costs.

He contrasted those wars with the US operation involving the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, which he claimed had been completed in just 48 minutes.

Trump continued describing the operation as a war that his administration had won, while boasting about the oil revenues and access to Venezuelan oil that he said Washington had secured.

“We’re taking out billions and billions of dollars of oil and all sorts of other things. Be hundreds of billions very soon,” Trump told the audience, claiming that the United States had already recovered the cost of the operation many times over.

“To the victor belong the spoils, they used to say. But you can say it again with us under this leadership,” he added.

The president’s remarks come as opposition to the Iran war grows among American voters, while rising energy costs and economic concerns add to pressure on his administration.