Trump Honors Veterans at Arlington, Says Iran War Began in 1979 and Will End Soon With Total Victory

President Donald Trump marked Veterans Day on Wednesday with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in which he paid tribute to American service members while addressing the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Speaking at the Memorial Amphitheater after the wreath-laying ceremony, Trump told the assembled veterans, military leaders, and officials that the United States did not initiate the war. “America did not start a war with Iran,” he said. “Iran has been waging war on America since 1979. They should have been taken care of a long time ago.” He referenced the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, which killed 241 American service members and was carried out by a group backed by Iran.

Trump stated that U.S. forces had already achieved a military success and that the remaining question was the timing of the end. “We fought back, and we fought back. We won. Now the question is when we want to end. We must have a total victory. Not a 93% victory. It’s going to be total,” he said. He noted that intense combat had lasted only a few weeks of the roughly seven-to-nine-month conflict and said, “We lost 18 beautiful souls.” He added that when the conflict ends—which he said would be soon—the world would be “much safer, a better place, more peaceful place and a place without the kind of danger that we had to suffer.”

The president also recognized individual veterans present at the ceremony, including 103-year-old World War II veteran Cpl. Jack Myers, who served as a gunner in the 692nd Tank Destroyer Battalion, fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and participated in the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. Other honorees included Vietnam War and Afghanistan veterans. Trump praised the service of military families and singled out Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying he had “done a fantastic job.”

Vice President JD Vance, First Lady Melania Trump, Second Lady Usha Vance, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins attended the event. Trump also referenced a planned triumphal arch near the cemetery that he said would be dedicated to veterans and the military. The White House issued a Veterans Day proclamation the day before the ceremony that highlighted VA efforts including processing a record number of disability claims and expanding health care facilities.