US House Speaker: 'Lying Is Part of Iranians' Religion'

US House Speaker Mike Johnson sparked controversy on September 9 by suggesting that lying may be part of Iranians' religion, while defending President Donald Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran.

Speaking to reporters the same day, Johnson was asked about policies that are increasingly unpopular under President Trump, including the decision to join Israel in launching a war against Iran in February 2026.

The House Speaker praised Trump, saying the US leader has a "steady hand at the wheel." After mentioning the trade war with Canada, Johnson turned to the Iran war issue.

"The issue is—and the reason we're frustrated—is that the Iranians simply cannot be trusted. They sit at the negotiating table and say one thing, then walk away and do the opposite," Johnson said.

"For some of them, it's obviously part of their religion that they can lie to someone they disagree with—that's a difficult thing," he added.

In Islam, lying is strictly prohibited. Johnson's office had not responded to Al Jazeera's request for comment at the time of publication.

The war in Iran is not supported by the American public. A nationwide poll by the University of Massachusetts released on September 8 showed 54% of Americans disapprove of US military actions against Iran.

The conflict is expected to affect Republicans' chances of retaining control of the House and Senate in the November midterm elections.

The conflict has caused Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, driving up oil and gas prices in the US and globally.

The Trump administration and its allies have repeatedly argued that the war is necessary to address an "imminent" nuclear threat from Tehran. At the September 9 press conference, Johnson reiterated this argument, saying the war was "imperative" because Iran had come close to possessing nuclear weapons.

However, that argument has been undermined by statements from within the US government. In June 2025, Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's director of national intelligence, told lawmakers that Iran has not weaponized its nuclear program.

"The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended since 2023," Gabbard said.

Just days after that statement, on June 22, 2025, the US military bombed Iran's three main uranium enrichment facilities—an attack that Trump repeatedly claimed "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program.

The US and Israel continued to strike Iran in late February, sparking a full-scale regional war that Trump promised would last no more than six weeks. But the conflict entered its seventh month last week with no sign of ending.

Although US officials say Washington has loosened Tehran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz and succeeded in moving millions of barrels of oil through the waterway daily, US consumers still face high gasoline prices. Rising energy costs are also adding to overall inflation in the US economy.

Johnson argued that Washington's allies would join the conflict to help reopen the strait—something they have refused to do so far.

"Right now, the Strait of Hormuz—we need stability there for trade, and in the Red Sea as well as the region," Johnson said. "Other countries around the world, NATO allies, Arab states in the region—they have a greater interest than Americans in that. And I think they are willing to help ensure trade flows smoothly, so we have stability in the markets."