Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, suggested that dishonesty is embedded in the Iranian faith while defending President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Iran.
During a press conference on Tuesday, the House speaker addressed the declining popularity of the Republican administration’s policies, specifically the decision to join Israel in initiating hostilities against Iran in February.
After addressing the US trade war with Canada, he shifted his focus to the Iran conflict, praising Trump by stating the US president has “steady hands at the wheel”. Regarding the Iran war, he stated:
“The problem has been – and the reason we’ve been frustrated – is that the Iranians simply cannot be trusted. They’ll sit at a negotiation table and say something. They’ll walk away and do the opposite,” Johnson said.
“For some, dishonesty appears to be an inherent part of their religious beliefs when dealing with those they oppose, making negotiations particularly challenging,” he added.
Dishonesty is strictly prohibited in Islam. Johnson’s office did not provide a comment to Al Jazeera prior to publication.
The military campaign has faced significant public opposition. A recent nationwide poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts indicated that 54 percent of Americans disapprove of the US military operations against Iran.
The ongoing conflict threatens Republican prospects of maintaining control over Congress in the upcoming November midterm elections.
The conflict led to Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, which caused oil and gas prices to surge domestically and internationally.
However, the Trump administration and its allies have consistently maintained that the military intervention was necessary to counter an “imminent” nuclear threat originating from Tehran.
During Tuesday’s news conference, Johnson reiterated this justification, asserting that the war was “necessitated” by Iran’s proximity to acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Nevertheless, this assertion has been contradicted by statements from within the US government.
For example, in June of last year, then-Trump intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard informed lawmakers that Iran was not weaponizing its nuclear program.
“The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not constructing a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2023,” Gabbard stated at the time.
Shortly after her remarks, on June 22, 2025, the US military struck Iran’s three primary enrichment facilities—an attack Trump repeatedly claimed had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
The US and Israel launched another attack on Iran in late February, igniting a full-scale regional war that Trump had initially promised would last no more than six weeks.
However, the conflict entered its seventh month last week with no resolution in sight.
Although US officials claim Washington has eased Tehran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz and successfully facilitated the daily transit of millions of barrels of oil through the waterway, American consumers continue to face high petrol prices.
The elevated energy costs have also contributed to broader inflation within the US economy.
However, Johnson argued that Washington’s allies will intervene in the conflict to assist in reopening the strait, despite their refusal to do so thus far.
“Right now, the Strait of Hormuz – we have to have stability there for commerce, and in the Red Sea and in the region,” he stated.
“Other nations globally, our NATO allies, and the Arab states in the region have a greater stake in this than Americans do. I believe they are willing to assist in ensuring that commerce remains open, thereby maintaining stability in the markets,” he concluded.
