Sanders slams Vance for downplaying Iran conflict as ‘not a war’
US Senator Bernie Sanders has sharply criticized Vice President JD Vance for saying the US conflict with Iran is not a “war,” urging him to explain that characterization to the families of American service members killed and to thousands of people who have died across the region.
Sanders, an independent senator who caucuses with Democrats, reacted to Vance’s remarks in a post on X.
“JD Vance said what is happening in Iran is not a ‘war.’ Please explain that to the families of the 19 American service members who have lost their lives, or the thousands who have been killed across the region,” Sanders wrote.
Vance made the remarks while responding to a question about how the Trump administration characterizes the conflict with Iran. The administration has portrayed the confrontation as something short of a war, a classification that has affected compensation available to the families of US troops killed in the fighting.
US President Donald Trump on Friday also sought to play down the conflict with Iran, referring to it as a relatively minor matter.
Meanwhile, US media reports have said Trump instructed his administration to stop using the previous title “Epic Fury” for the conflict with Iran.
Trump, who returned to office promising to end what he called America’s “endless wars,” is now facing growing criticism over the Iran conflict and has sought to minimize its scale.