Donald Trump Compares Length of ‘Iran Excursion' To US Wars
President Donald Trump has described the Iran war as an “excursion” in a Truth Social post comparing the length of hostilities with previous conflicts involving U.S. forces.
Trump's post shows a graph of seven conflicts central to American history over the last two centuries touting how hostilities in Iran had lasted only six weeks-compared with the 543 weeks of the longest conflict, the Afghanistan War.
“Wow. Study this Chart!” said Trump's post which also described the conflict in Iran as an “excursion,” echoing his previous comments that suggest his intervention is more decisive than open‑ended.
“Here he seems to be minimizing the effect of his war of choice while his actions continue to risk American lives while dragging the world to an economic cliff edge,” Mark Shanahan, associate professor of political engagement at the University of Surrey in England told Newsweek Friday. “Trump uses words for effect, his Truth Social messages are meant to be memorable but he uses language lightly and without filters.”
Trump's Conflict Comparison
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes on the Islamic Republic on February 28 which, as of Wednesday when Trump posted his message, was 67 days or nine and a half weeks ago-rather than the six weeks the president has claimed.
The six-week claim appears to reflect the start of the two‑week ceasefire he declared on April 7, which was later extended as negotiations continued. Iran curbed drone and missile strikes on Gulf countries but still blocks vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which one fifth of the world's energy transited before the war.
As well as the Afghanistan War, Trump listed the length of the Iraq War (457 weeks) and the Vietnam War (439 weeks), as well as delving further back in history to note that the U.S. Civil War lasted 209 weeks.
The post said that for the U.S., World War II was 196 weeks, although this only relates to U.S. participation in the conflict prompted by Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, not the whole war. It also says the Korean War (1950-1953) lasted 161 weeks and the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, 139 weeks.
In a letter to the U.S. Congress on May 1, Trump said the ceasefire had “terminated” hostilities, citing no exchange of fire since April 7, arguing he did not need lawmakers' permission to continue the conflict.
This is required under the 1973 War Powers Resolution that decrees a U.S. president can wage military action for only 60 days before asking Congress for authorization or seeking a 30-day extension because of “unavoidable military necessity.”
On the campaign trail, Trump railed against the “forever wars” of his predecessors and so his actions in the Middle East during his second term have been a bone of contention for MAGA supporters wary of foreign interventions.
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Iran missile/drone targeting UAE – 5/4/2026
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Conflicting Peace Talks Messaging
Trump said that the war in Iran will be “over quickly” in comments that come amid mixed messaging from both sides about the likelihood of hostilities ending.
The president warned that if Iran did not agree to a deal, “the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.”
Axios reported that the White House believes it could be closing in on a 14-point memorandum of understanding that could lead to more detailed negotiations over Iran's nuclear program that Trump wants to curb.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the state news agency ISNA that a U.S. proposal to end the conflict was being considered.
Washington. also imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports and U.S. Central Command said Wednesday it had shot at and disabled an Iranian-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
However, Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission, posted on X that the U.S. “will not gain anything in a war they are losing that they have not gained in face-to-face negotiations.”
Rezaei also warned that if the U.S. did not “surrender and grant the necessary concessions,” Iran would deliver a “harsh” response.
“For a peace deal to work, both sides have to walk away from it, losing something,” Nick Berg, the Iranian-born author of the book Shadows of Tehran told Newsweek. “The biggest issue for the U.S. is the enrichment process and the stockpile of already enriched uranium.”
“If the Islamic Republic gives up on these points, as well as support for terrorist organizations, the U.S. would be willing to forgo the limitation on the missile capability, release Iranian assets, and ease the sanctions,” Berg said. “I would say a peace deal is a long shot at this point-there are too many red lines on both sides.”
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This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 7:12 AM.