The US says the Iran conflict isn’t a ‘war’ – but can’t say when it’ll end

(FILES) This US Navy handout photograph released on August 4, 2026, by US Central Command Public Affairs shows an F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln on July 31, 2026. Some sailors have reportedly tried throwing themselves into the sea, basic supplies can run short and sanitation is going awry: life on America's giant Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is increasingly difficult as the Iran war drags on. The ship -- now in its ninth month of deployment -- is expected to be replaced in the Middle East by another carrier, the George Washington, in a move sure to be welcomed by the Lincoln's crew and their loved ones. (Photo by various sources / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / US NAVY / NAVCENT PUBLIC AFFAIRS" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS Attention editors: AFP covers the war in the Middle East through its extensive regional network, including bureaus in Tehran, Jerusalem, and several neighboring countries. Since the start of the conflict, journalists have been working under increasingly restrictive conditions. Authorities in several countries have limited reporters' movements, photo and live video coverage from sensitive locations. Some governments and armed groups have banned images of missile or drone strikes and other security-related sites. / TO GO WITH AFP FOCUS STORY BY W.G. DUNLOP- AUGUST 14, 2026.

It’s been six months since the US and Israel began joint strikes on Iran – and still, the United States has not declared it a war.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters yesterday that it was up to Iran to provide an end to the conflict, which has seen gas prices rise and uncertainty spread throughout the Middle East.

Vance said the current strikes should not be called a ‘war’, arguing that no active combat operations have happened in months.

But the hesitation to officially declare a war has already caused issues – this week, the widow of a soldier killed in Iran revealed she hasn’t gotten death benefits – because of the hesitation from the government to call the ‘conflict’ a war.

Libby Klinner lost her husband, US Air Force Major John ‘Alex’ Klinner, in March.

She wrote on Instagram: ‘The Air Force recently told me that because we haven’t officially declared war, my kids and I aren’t eligible for some benefits.

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

‘So, not only was my husband killed in a war he never wanted to participate in, but now the benefits we’re left with are being dictated by semantics and public perception.’

Klinner has since said that the Air Force’s director of mortuary affairs contacted her to help with benefits.

Six months on, the US has been unable to reveal when the hostilities in Iran would cease.

Earlier this week, forces carried out a fresh wave of strikes against Iranian military targets.

BANDAR ABBAS, IRAN - AUGUST 10: Children swim as ships are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on August 10, 2026 off the coast of Bandar Abbas, Iran. In a recent statement, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the vital waterway would not reopen until the United States corrects its behavior, demanding that the U.S. end its war on Iran and compensate the country for war damage, among other conditions. Iran has largely halted vessel traffic through the strait with the threat of strikes; meanwhile, the U.S. has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. (Photo by Ali Saeedi/Getty Images)

A CENTCOM statement said they struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets including air defence sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites.

The strikes came after ‘attempted attacks’ by the IRGC in the Strait of Hormuz, which threatened commercial shipping and US personnel.

President Donald Trump ordered the attacks in retaliation for what he described as Iranian attempts to lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and to deter further IRGC threats to commercial shipping and US personnel in the region.

More than 50,000 US service members are currently operating across the Middle East.

Since February, 790 US service members have been wounded, and 18 have been killed.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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