U.S. President Donald Trump says the conflict with Iran is “small potatoes” for the United States, while describing U.S. strikes as “very intermittent.” Speaking in response to questions about Vice President JD Vance’s remarks that the fighting should not be called a “war,” Trump says he understands the rationale and repeats that he does not view it as a major campaign.

Several outlets report Trump referenced the number of American deaths, with one account citing 18 U.S. service members killed, and broader reporting notes the conflict has lasted for months and involved on-and-off military activity. NBC News also adds that Trump says the U.S. is protecting oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian attacks. Other coverage notes Trump becomes frustrated when pressed on how long the conflict will last, comparing it to the Vietnam War to argue it is shorter or less significant. Across the reports, the central difference lies in how outlets frame Trump’s comparisons and the specifics of the administration’s rationale, but they align on the core message: Trump minimizes the scale and accepts, at least in part, Vance’s “not a war” framing.