President Trump was the first president to launch military action against Iran.
Posted by Real Time with Bill Maher, Checked
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Real Time with Bill MaherOct 24, 2026
The claim that Trump was the first president to launch military action against Iran is contradicted by the sources. A Carter-era U.S. operation (Operation Eagle Claw, April 1980) involved a military mission flown into Tehran, and the Independent piece notes that Reagan and other earlier presidents launched military action in the Middle East.
What was said
… The President made, I believe, a courageous decision to launch military action against Iran, which is a very dangerous regime that chants, Death to America. So some President had to do it. President Trump was the first, and as he said repeatedly, it's a short-term cost for the long-term game of ensuring Iran doesn't obtain a nuclear weapon, and I think most of the American people understand that. I hope they do. Help me understand this man, because I've been there now for quite a bit, like seven hours total. I heard, yeah, I know. …
Real Time with Bill Maher · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. A History of US-Iranian Relations reports that the Carter administration conducted 'Operation Eagle Claw' on April 24, 1980, a complex military rescue plan with Delta Force flying into Tehran, which is U.S. military action on Iranian territory decades before Trump.[2]
Contradicts. The Independent states that Biden, Obama, Clinton, both Bushes, and Reagan have all launched military action in the Middle East over the last 50 years, so Trump was not the first president to use force in the region involving Iran.[4]
Context. Trump's 2026 Operation Epic Fury followed earlier U.S. strikes on Iran in June 2025, which the sources describe as a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan, so Trump had also acted against Iran before 2026.[3][5]
Context. Politifact's review of Carter's record notes that Carter did not formally declare war or engage U.S. forces in new armed conflicts, which sets a narrower reading of 'military action' but does not address the Operation Eagle Claw raid into Iran.[1]
Sources
5 sources: 1 fact-checker, 2 primary, 2 not rated
- 1Fact-checking claims about Jimmy Carter's recordpolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2A History of US-Iranian Relations | Middle East Studies Centermesc.osu.edu · primary source · cited for: contradicts
- 3The Long Road to War with Iran | Originsorigins.osu.edu · primary source · cited for: context
- 4Every country Trump has attacked or threatened in second term after Iran struck againindependent.co.uk · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 5Epic Fury: Washington's Contradictory War Aims in Iranarabcenterdc.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
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