Trump blamed Tehran for starting the war, stating that Iran has been at war with the United States since 1979.
Donald Trump, the President of the United States, said that Washington did not start the war with Iran and that Iran has been at war with the United States since 1979. Trump’s reference is to the year when the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was seized, and the hostage crisis began. These remarks were made as U.S. attacks on Iran in late February 2026 initiated a new round of conflicts in the region.