Trump defends Iran war at Veterans Day ceremony

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 12 Nov, 00:49 · Archive

President Trump used a Veterans Day address to defend the war with Iran, saying the US had won and the conflict would end soon.

President Trump used his Veterans Day address at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday to defend the war with Iran. Speaking to an audience of veterans and their families in the Memorial Amphitheater, he argued that the United States had already won the conflict and that the only remaining question was when to end it.

Trump claimed that Iran had been waging war on America since 1979 and that the current conflict should have been addressed long ago. 'America did not start a war with Iran,' he said. 'It was about time somebody fought back. All of us fought back, and we seriously fought back, and we won.'

Trump said the war began seven months ago, with only a few weeks of active fighting. He noted that 18 American service members had been killed. He pledged that when the conflict ended, 'the entire world will be much safer, a better place, more peaceful place'.

Trump stated he wanted to ensure 'a total victory, not a 93% victory', without clarifying what he meant by the percentage. He gave no specific date for when the war would end, saying only that it would be 'soon'.

The New York Post reports that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a heated disagreement over the weekend about the war's future. Netanyahu reportedly pushed for the conflict to resume, while Trump favoured diplomatic solutions and ongoing peace talks with Iran. Netanyahu's office denied reports of a confrontational call, describing them as 'fake news'.

The speech came days after midterm elections in which roughly six in ten voters told polling organisations that military action against Iran was the wrong decision.

How it is being reported

• Trump, Netanyahu get into ‘shouting match from hell’ over Iran war, Israeli media reportsPresident Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got into a heated shouting match over the weekend over their different stances on the future of the Iran war, according to Israeli media.New York Post · 11 Nov, 19:20
• Trump says ‘America did not start a war with Iran’'We want to make sure we have a total victory, not a 93% victory.'Metro · 11 Nov, 19:06
• Trump defends Iran war during Veterans Day address, says he is making the world 'safer'Trump told veterans at Arlington National Cemetery that the Iran conflict will end soon, vowing "total victory" in his Veterans Day address.Fox News · 11 Nov, 18:32
• Trump hijacks Veterans Day speech to make case for his Iran war — and 250-foot archPresident repeats claim that U.S. ‘won’ war with Iran while also suggesting war will ‘be over soon’Independent World · 11 Nov, 17:33

In this story: Donald Trump · Benjamin Netanyahu · Iran · United States · Arlington National Cemetery · Israel

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log