Stephen Colbert Sends Jimmy Kimmel His Backup ‘Iran Jokes’ Since War’s Not Ending Anytime Soon

Stephen Colbert mailed fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel his backup Iran jokes on Wednesday, pretending to send a bulky parcel to rival network ABC while warning that the war probably wouldn’t be over by the time his own show stops airing in May.

The bit came after President Donald Trump unilaterally declared an extension to his two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday in a bid to pull both sides back into stalled peace negotiations.

The move came just hours after the president had signalled a far more aggressive stance, saying he “expected to be bombing” if a deal was not reached before the truce expired. Trump said the ceasefire would remain in place until Iranian negotiators produced a formal proposal for peace.

On Wednesday’s episode of The Late Show, Colbert mocked the further extension as proof that the war wasn’t ending anytime soon.

“This time, he did not specify an end date. Huh… You know what? I’m beginning to think this war might not be over by Memorial Day,” Colbert quipped.

“Which reminds me, hold on one second,” he said, pulling out a prop box labelled Iran War Jokes. “Okay, let me just uh let me sign this uh box here. FedEx to ABC, care of Jim E. Kimmel, Hollywood…”

Colbert winked at the camera as the audience applauded and said, “Enjoy, buddy… It’s coming to you.”

“Can we get this in the mail? Get that in the mail,” he instructed producers.

Colbert’s skit also served as a dig to his own network, which announced the cancellation of his show last year. The comedian will film his final episode after over a decade on-air next month. The last show will broadcast on May 21.

The cancellation itself came just a week after CBS made headlines for its $16 million settlement with Trump over a 2024 60 Minutes interview – a closure to the case that Colbert had criticized as a “big fat bribe” on his show just days before.

That settlement also came at the same time parent company Paramount Global was seeking approval from the FCC for a merger with Skydance Media, valued at $8 billion.

In the days that followed, amid backlash, CBS argued the decision was purely financial, but late night show hosts from other networks, including Kimmel, rounded to defend Colbert and reject that position, implying instead that the cancellation was a business motivated appeasement.

Watch above via CBS.

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