“The United States and Iran have not been fighting for months.” — US President Donald Trump. Our verdict: False.

What we found

The evidence

• Background

  The Hindustan Times article attributes to Donald Trump the statement that the U.S. and Iran have not been fighting for months. [1]

• Contradicts the claim

  The Institute for the Study of War reported U.S. strikes on Iran on 8 and 9 July 2026, and Iranian retaliatory strikes against Gulf states on 9 July 2026, showing active military engagement between the two sides. [2]

• Contradicts the claim

  The U.S. State Department said on 24 August 2026 that Iranian attacks against U.S. forces and allies in the region had occurred, and sanctioned Iranian officials responsible for directing them. [3]

• Background

  A Hindustan Times report says Trump, in an interview the day before the 2026 midterm elections, called the conflict with Iran a 'soft war' and asked 'When was the last time we fired anything?' [4]

• Background

  A Hindustan Times article reports Trump's pledge not to attack Iran before the 3 November midterm elections, but does not include the 'not fighting for months' quote. [5]

What we could not confirm

• The exact scale and continuity of fighting between August and November 2026 is unclear, and there may have been a lull just before Trump's statement.
• The Institute for the Study of War report relies on open-source information rather than official military records.
• The State Department announcement does not give specific dates or details of the Iranian attacks it mentions.
• The February 2026 government announcement does not say how long the operation lasted or confirm any Iranian retaliatory actions.

How we checked

We looked at contemporaneous reporting from the Institute for the Study of War, official statements and announcements from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. government, and news reports from the Hindustan Times covering the period from February to November 2026. We reviewed 5 relevant sources.