Trump says Iran conflict is 'an excursion' that keeps the US out of a larger war
President Trump is asked if the Iran War is a "war" after he repeatedly called it an "excursion" today:
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) March 11, 2026
"Well, it's both. It's an excursion that will keep us out of a war. For them it's a war. For us it's turned out to be easier than we thought." pic.twitter.com/INqTXqOIr7
READING, OHIO: President Donald Trump visited a pharmaceutical plant in Ohio, where he praised the company before heading to a midterm rally in Kentucky. During the Ohio visit, Trump told reporters that the US military action against Iran is “an excursion that will keep us out of a war,” even as the conflict continues and global tensions rise.
Trump says US military action against Iran has been easier than expected
Trump told reporters in Ohio on Wednesday, March 11 that the conflict with Iran is both a war and an “excursion.”
Trump: We did a little excursion. A couple weeks, a few weeks of excursion, had to take an excursion, but it's doing well. The market is holding up well. I figured we would be hit a little bit, but we were hit less than I thought and we will be back on track in a pretty short… pic.twitter.com/YlMLYV39lG
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 11, 2026
A reporter asked, “You just said it is a little excursion, and you said it is a war. So which one is it?”
“Well, it’s both,” Trump replied. “It’s an excursion that will keep us out of a war, and the war is going to be, I mean for them — it’s a war. For us, it’s turned out to be easier than we thought.”
The president has offered inconsistent descriptions of the campaign in recent days. During a speech to House Republicans on Monday, March 9 he referred to the operation as a “short-term excursion,” but later vowed to “go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory.”
Trump says of military operations: 'Land is easier than water'
During his visit to the Ohio pharmaceutical plant, Trump shifted to discussing the ongoing US military action against Iran. He highlighted the country’s missile capabilities, saying, “But think of it, they had thousands of missiles - 7-8,000 missiles We got many of them before they got to launch.”
Trump also addressed Iran’s use of drones, noting, “They have drones all over the place. We got money now. We're knocking out the drone plants as you know, going fast. They started talking about mines, so we hit 28 mine ships as of this moment, 28."
He then compared the military operations to previous maritime security efforts. He added, "And now we have almost none. It's down 97% through water. Now we'll do it through land. The land is easier than water.”
Returning to the plant tour, Trump praised the company, calling it “a great honor being here. It's a great company. I've known it for a long time.” He congratulated Thermo Fisher Scientific Chairman and CEO, saying, “And you have done a fantastic job. And I'd like to congratulate you.” The CEO responded modestly, “Thank you, it’s the colleagues’ work.”
Trump weighs in on the state of the economy amid US strikes against Iran
Trump commented on the state of the economy amid ongoing military action, telling reporters, “We're doing our job, so we had to take an excursion. But it's doing well. The market is holding up well. I figured we'd be hit a little bit, but we were hit probably less than I thought. And we'll be back on track in a pretty short while.”
He also addressed rising prices, particularly oil, saying, “Prices are coming down very substantially. Oil will be coming down. That's just a matter of war, that happens. Very — you can almost predict it. I would say it went up a little bit less than we thought. It's going to come down more than we, than anybody understands."
