US President Donald Trump stated that American forces should not have been involved in either the Iraq or Iran wars. He made the remarks during an interview with Fox News while discussing his next steps regarding Iran. Referring to the Iraq war, Trump said the United States had performed poorly there and that entering Iraq had been a foolish decision.

Turning to Iran, Trump said the US should not have remained involved there either, though he claimed Iran had significant capabilities. He suggested that if the US had not launched a B-2 bomber strike nine months earlier, Iran might have developed nuclear weapons, which could have drastically changed the Middle East situation. Trump also claimed that the US deliberately spared Iran’s military forces, describing them as somewhat moderate compared to other groups.

He added that wars often lead to mistakes that devastate nations for decades, implying that restraint in military action was a deliberate choice by his administration.