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source_url: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-former-president-iran-war-remarks-11686388
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President [Donald Trump](/topic/donald-trump) said twice on Monday that a former U.S. president told him he wished he had taken [action against Iran ](https://www.newsweek.com/iran-strait-of-hormuz-latest-updates-11681879)while in office, though Trump declined to identify which one.
“I’ve spoken to a certain president, who I like, actually — a past president, former president,” Trump said earlier Monday at the White House. “He said, ‘I wish I did it. I wish I did.’ But they didn’t do it. I’m doing it.”
When asked to name the former president, Trump said he did not want to “embarrass him,” adding, “It would be very bad for his career, even though he’s got no career.”
The only living former U.S. presidents are Democrats [Joe Biden](/topic/joe-biden), [Barack Obama](/topic/barack-obama) and [Bill Clinton](/topic/bill-clinton), along with Republican [George W. Bush](/topic/george-w-bush).
Later Monday, Fox News' Peter Doocy asked Trump in the Oval Office, "You said twice today you talked to a former president about the [Iran](/topic/iran) strikes. Was it George W. Bush?" The president replied, "No," then Doocy responded, "Was it Bill Clinton?" Trump concluded, "I don't want to say. I think you probably know."
President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken more warmly about former President Clinton than about his other living predecessors, offering praise and expressions of personal regard even as he continues to sharply criticize Biden and Obama. Trump has said on several occasions that he “likes” Clinton and has described him as someone he has “always gotten along with,” a tone that contrasts with the insults and blame Trump routinely directs at Biden and Obama in public remarks.
The dynamic is notable given that Trump defeated Clinton’s wife, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 presidential election after a bruising campaign marked by years of personal and political attacks.
A spokesperson for Bill Clinton told Newsweek that the 42nd president has not spoken to Trump about Iran.
Aides to Bush, Obama and Biden gave CNN a similar reply on Monday, saying the former presidents haven't spoken to Trump regarding the conflict.
How Living US Presidents Dealt With Iran
For decades, U.S. presidents from both parties avoided direct military conflict with Iran, even as tensions simmered over Tehran’s nuclear program and its support for militant groups across the Middle East.
Clinton, whose first term began in 1992, relied on sanctions and diplomatic isolation, pursuing a policy of containment without ordering U.S. military strikes against Iran itself.
George W. Bush labeled Iran part of an “axis of evil” and accused it of backing terrorism, but stopped short of direct military action. While U.S. forces clashed with Iranian‑backed militias during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush did not authorize attacks on Iranian territory.
Obama emphasized diplomacy, culminating in the 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. That deal was eventually eliminated during Trump's first term. Obama's administration expanded covert operations and targeted Iranian‑aligned forces elsewhere in the region, but avoided direct strikes on Iran. Biden followed a similar approach, authorizing limited retaliatory strikes against Iran‑backed militias in Iraq and Syria while stressing de‑escalation and declining to attack Iran directly.
War Expands Across the Region
[Fighting in the Middle East intensified Monday](https://www.newsweek.com/iran-war-update-number-us-soldier-injured-rises-11686448) on multiple fronts, with the United States and Israel striking military targets in Iran’s capital while Israel expanded operations against Iran‑backed militants in Lebanon. Iran responded with a drone strike that briefly forced the closure of Dubai’s international airport, a key global travel hub, underscoring how the conflict is spreading beyond traditional battlefields.
The fighting has killed at least 1,300 people in Iran, at least 880 in Lebanon and 12 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. The U.S. military says 13 American service members have been killed and about 200 wounded.
Strait of Hormuz Disruptions Fuel Energy Fears
Concerns about a global energy crisis persisted even as a limited number of ships moved through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes. Iranian attacks on commercial shipping — and the threat of further strikes — have sharply curtailed traffic, driving up oil prices and adding pressure on Washington to blunt the economic fallout.
Oil Prices Remain Elevated
Brent crude, the international benchmark, stayed above $100 a barrel on Monday amid fears that prolonged disruption in the strait could further tighten global supplies. [Trump said he has asked about a half‑dozen countries to send warships](https://www.newsweek.com/trump-iran-war-diplomacy-china-strait-hormuz-11686142) to help keep the waterway open, but acknowledged that no nation has yet committed to joining such an effort.
Iran Rejects Negotiated End
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remains open “from our perspective,” but not for the United States, Israel and their allies. In social media posts, Araghchi dismissed reports that Iran was seeking talks to end the war as “delusional,” saying Tehran was pursuing neither a truce nor negotiations.
Continued Attacks Since War Began
Since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran more than two weeks ago, Tehran has repeatedly fired drones and missiles at Israel, U.S. military bases in the region and energy infrastructure in Gulf Arab states, raising fears of further escalation as the conflict shows no sign of easing.
Updates: 3/16/26, 7:09 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.