If the United States goes to war with Iran, the conflict would not last long and wouldn't involve boots on the ground, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.
"We're in a very strong position if something should happen," Trump told Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo after she asked him directly if the United States is going to war with Iran. "It wouldn't last very long, I can tell you that."
He said he also wasn't "talking boots on the ground."
"I'm not talking, we're going to send a million soldiers," Trump told Bartiromo. "I'm just saying if something would happen, it wouldn't last very long."
He also insisted, despite the attacks on a U.S. drone and oil tankers, he's been "very nice" to Iran, pointing to his decision to call off a military strike late last week.
"They shot down our drone," he said. "I decided not to kill a lot of Iranians. I know a lot of Iranians. I like Iranians so much, and that plays into your decision, too. They're human beings. They're people. I didn't want to kill 150 people."
Trump added that his sanctions on Iran are "very biting," and said that his actions against Iran are already working.
"When I took over, Iran was a terror. We had 18 — 14 to 18 sites of confliction," said Trump. "Iran was behind every one of them. They want to take over the Middle East and were going to make it really very bad."
Trump also responded to comments from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who called the White House "mentally retarded" over the more-strict sanctions that have been imposed.
"The White House actions mean it is mentally retarded," Rouhani said. "Tehran's strategic patience does not mean we have fear."
"I don't think they have smart leadership at all," Trump retorted on Wednesday. "Iran's going down the tubes."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.