Trump dismisses Iran conflict as 'little war' compared to Ukraine aid

The Iran war is “relatively little” for the US compared with the vast amount of weaponry Washington gave Ukraine under Joe Biden, President Donald Trump has said. He claimed his predecessor handed Kiev $300 billion worth of arms for free.

Trump made the remarks while taking questions from reporters at an Oval Office event on Monday as fighting in the Middle East flared up again after weeks of relative calm. US forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, prompting Tehran to retaliate with missile attacks on US forces in Jordan and the UAE.

Asked whether the prolonged operation against Iran was draining US military resources needed elsewhere, Trump shrugged off the concern. “This is a relatively little war for us. This is not a big war,” he said, adding that the US has “so much ammunition and munitions” stationed around the world that it could draw on additional supplies if needed.

“You know where the money went was Ukraine,” Trump continued, arguing that Washington has used “very little” weaponry against Iran by comparison.

He then contrasted US expenditures on Iran with Washington’s support for Ukraine under his predecessor.

“Joe Biden gave Ukraine over $300 billion worth of stuff free,” Trump said, adding that under his administration Ukraine “has to pay for it” through European NATO members. The $300 billion figure is widely disputed. A May report by the Special Inspector General for Operation Atlantic Resolve put total US appropriations for Ukraine and the broader response to the conflict at about $195 billion since February 2022, of which $67.8 billion was committed in defense articles and services to Kiev.

Trump’s description of the Iran conflict as a “little war” comes as it enters its seventh month despite his repeated declarations of victory. He proclaimed “total and complete victory” in early April and has since repeatedly said Washington had won or was close to ending the conflict.

The war has consumed billions of dollars’ worth of US weaponry, with War Secretary Pete Hegseth putting the overall cost at $37.5 billion by July. Washington fired more than 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles in the first four weeks alone – despite producing only a few hundred annually – along with more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors.

The strain has also hit US weapons inventories in Europe, where supplies of Patriot interceptors and other key munitions have fallen to “beyond critical” levels as weapons are diverted to the Middle East, media reported last week, citing US and NATO officials.

Washington has meanwhile stepped up economic pressure on Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned on Sunday that the US could unleash “financial violence” against Iran, threatening to impose new secondary sanctions every week to punish Tehran and those doing business with it.