President Donald Trump described the Iran conflict as a "mini-war" while addressing concerns that the military action is taking "too long.
"We have a war right now, and we're to what, six weeks? He said, 'What's taking so long!' We were in Vietnam 19 years," Trump said. He added. "You have the wrong person up here, you'll be in World War III."
Last week, Trump dismissed Iran's latest proposal to bring an end to hostilities between the two nations, stating on Friday that he remained unsatisfied while criticising Iran's "fractured" leadership structure.
Trump rejected the latest proposal almost immediately upon its delivery. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency confirmed that Iran submitted its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday evening.
"They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens," Trump told reporters Friday at the White House, without elaborating on what he saw as its shortcomings.
His latest comments came during an address to attendees at a small business summit held at the White House. The gathering brought together over 130 small business owners as Trump's administration showcased various policies designed to support them.
"Our nation's 36 million small businesses now have the confidence to hire, reinvest and expand, unleashing an historic era of sustained growth," Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler said ahead of the event.
"America is open for business again." The gathering was held to mark this year's National Small Business Week, with owners drawn from manufacturing, food production, defence, energy, and retail sectors, amongst other industries, according to the White House.
In a press release issued ahead of the occasion, the White House stated: "American businesses have served as the cornerstone of our prosperity and fortified the strongest workforce in the history of the world."
The press release, written on behalf of the president, outlined his key initiatives, including no tax on tips and overtime provisions, which he claimed were "putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Americans."
During his address, Trump also drew attention to the tax advantages available to small business owners under his One Big Beautiful Bill. According to the Treasury Department, more than six million tax filers claimed no tax on tips deductions, more than 25 million benefited from no tax on overtime, and taxes were reduced by nearly $7,000 for around 12 million small business owners.
The event takes place against a backdrop of rising fuel costs and affordability pressures, partly driven by the conflict in Iran, which are taking their toll on small business owners throughout the country.
The National Business Person of the Year Award was presented to Mark Lamoncha, who has helmed Humtown Products for more than 40 years, a company specialising in 3D sand printing, according to Scripps News.
