Oliver Stone blasts Trump’s Iran conflict, US wars: ‘We haven’t learned anything from Vietnam’
WASHINGTON, DC: Director Oliver Stone said the US hasn't learned from the Vietnam War and continues sending troops abroad, calling it a repeated pattern.
Stone told Variety in an interview for the 40th anniversary of his Vietnam War film Platoon that the country has reverted to a mindset that accepts war rather than trying to avoid it.
Stone calls Iraq war ‘greatest disaster since Vietnam’
Stone, who served in the Vietnam War before becoming a filmmaker, has long used his films to explore the impact of war on soldiers and American society.
“It’s just ridiculous that we’re back in this state of loving war again,” Stone said. “We just continue to militarize and build up our defense budget. We continued to dominate and bully…”
“We haven’t learned anything from Vietnam, we just continue to militarize and build up our defense budget.”
#Platoon director Oliver Stone says Americans “haven’t learned anything from Vietnam.”
— Variety (@Variety) March 12, 2026
“It’s just ridiculous that we’re back in this state of loving war again,” he tells Variety. “We just continue to militarize and build up our defense budget. We continued to dominate and bully… pic.twitter.com/O9V2LMRHKJ
During the interview, Stone also criticized the US invasion of Iraq, describing it as one of the most damaging military decisions in recent history.
“We continued to dominate and bully and threaten. The war in Iraq was the greatest disaster since Vietnam. George Bush, the worst single president we’ve ever had.”
Stone argued the Iraq conflict drained American resources and changed the national mindset.
“What did Iraq get us? It drained our wealth and made us callous as a nation,” he said
His 1986 film 'Platoon, based on his own experience as a soldier in Vietnam, won the Academy Award for Best Picture and remains one of the most influential war movies in Hollywood history.
Stone calls out Trump on Iran
Stone also criticized President Donald Trump over the current conflict with Iran, saying it reflects the same patterns the US has followed in past wars.
“And now Mr. Trump is [starting] a war in Iran, and he’s playing the same game with Cuba and Venezuela,” he said.
“It’s like the Roman Empire. We never learn our lesson.”
The filmmaker compared American foreign policy to an empire expanding its influence.
Stone also acknowledged that his outspoken political views have sometimes affected his career in Hollywood.
“I’ve certainly been loud in sharing my beliefs over the years, and my career has suffered for it. I’ve learned my lesson: Keep your views quiet.”
The interview comes as Platoon celebrates its 40th anniversary, sparking renewed discussions about how the film portrays war and how the Vietnam War still affects American politics and culture today.
