In a Veterans Day speech, Trump says the US has won the war with Iran

President Donald Trump spoke at the national Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Wednesday, Nov. 11, having placed a wreath before the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Vice President JD Vance and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also spoke. Trump defended the war with Iran, saying "America did not start a war with Iran" and that the US had won, with the only question being when to end it.

He said he wants a "total victory," not a "93% victory," and that the war will be over "soon." He said operations began seven months ago, with only a few weeks of active fighting, and that "We lost 18 beautiful souls." He also thanked service members working to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Near the end, he said a "magnificent triumphal arch" for veterans would soon be dedicated. The 250-foot arch is planned just outside the cemetery entrance, and it faces lawsuits from Vietnam War veterans, Virginia, the District of Columbia and, as of Tuesday, nine members of the Kennedy family. A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, has temporarily blocked construction while the cases proceed.