Joe Rogan questions Trump’s Iran ceasefire strategy: 'It doesn’t make sense’

Joe Rogan questioned Donald Trump’s Iran strategy and the overall direction of the conflict just days after meeting the president at the White House
Joe Rogan questioned Donald Trump's Iran strategy after the president extended the ceasefire indefinitely at Pakistan’s request (Screengrab/PowerfulJRE/YouTube)
Joe Rogan questioned Donald Trump's Iran strategy after the president extended the ceasefire indefinitely at Pakistan’s request (Screengrab/PowerfulJRE/YouTube)

WASHINGTON, DC: Joe Rogan is once again speaking his mind about Donald Trump — this time questioning the president’s strategy in Iran and whether it adds up.

The podcaster, who had appeared alongside Trump at the White House just days earlier, didn’t hold back during a new episode of ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’.

During the Thursday, April 23, while discussing the Middle East situation, Rogan admitted he’s struggling to understand the direction of the ongoing conflict.

Joe Rogan MC's during the UFC 300 ceremonial weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Joe Rogan during the UFC 300 ceremonial weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 12, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Joe Rogan perplexed about Iran ceasefire situation

Rogan’s frustration was clear as he tried to make sense of recent developments.

“No one f***ing knows,” he said, reacting to a question about whether the situation would stabilize.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks during an event on health care affordability in the Oval Office at the White House on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

He pointed specifically to the confusion around the ceasefire.

“I mean, what’s going on with the Iran ceasefire? Supposedly, they extended, but then they’re shooting at ships,” he added.

The remarks came after Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely earlier in the week at Pakistan’s request, even as the US maintained its naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Joe Rogan questions timing and purpose of Trump’s actions

Beyond the ceasefire, Rogan also questioned the strategy behind the conflict.

He pointed out that calls for change in Iran have existed for decades, yet the current approach feels unclear.

“People have wanted people out of Iran, the people that are running Iran, for 47 years, but no one has actually gone and done it the way this administration did,” he said. “And it doesn’t make sense they choose to do it when they did.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, speaks while Joe Rogan, right, and President Donald Trump listen in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr speaks while Joe Rogan and President Donald Trump listen in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Washington (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Rogan suggested that the current situation might be tied to negotiations but admitted he doesn’t see a clear path forward.

“I think the idea is that they’re trying to negotiate about something, you know, and I don’t know how this is ever going to work out. I really don’t know,” he expressed.

Joe Rogan raises concerns about Israel's influence and long-term plan

The podcaster also floated the idea that outside influence may have played a role in the decision-making.

“Why did we do it? I don’t know, I think because of Israel, if I had to guess,” Rogan said, referencing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 07: U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump is meeting with Netanyahu to discuss ongoing efforts to release Israeli hostages from Gaza and newly imposed U.S. tariffs. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025, in Washington, DC (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

He also questioned what the endgame looks like for the US.

“You got to wonder like, how do you get out of this and what does the exit look like?” he said. “Do we have troops over there forever now? Do we subsidize them if we blow up their power grid and infrastructure?”

What makes Rogan’s comments stand out even more is how recently he had appeared alongside Trump.



He was present in the Oval Office on Saturday when Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating research into certain psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment.

Rogan later shared that Trump jokingly referred to him as a “liberal” during that meeting. The podcaster has previously described himself as “politically homeless.”

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