Stephen Colbert Jokes About Iran War, Sends Material to Jimmy Kimmel Ahead of Late Show Finale

Stephen Colbert used his Wednesday, May 14, 2025 monologue to address his upcoming departure from The Late Show—and playfully passed the mic on Iran war jokes to Jimmy Kimmel.

During the opening segment of the show, Colbert weighed in on the latest developments surrounding the Iran conflict, including former President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the U.S.-Iran ceasefire without specifying an end date.

“You know what? I’m beginning to think this war might not be over by Memorial Day,” Colbert quipped before pulling out a package. He then pretended to sign the box, addressed to ABC for delivery to Kimmel in Hollywood, with the label “Iran War Joke.”

“Enjoy, buddy! It’s coming to you. Can we get this in the mail? There we go,” Colbert said as he stepped back.

Colbert’s final episode of The Late Show is scheduled for Wednesday, May 21, 2025, CBS confirmed earlier this year. The decision to end the show followed a July 2024 announcement, when CBS executives stated the cancellation was based on financial considerations—not talent replacement.

“I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away,” Colbert noted during his July 2024 monologue. “And I do want to say that the folks at CBS have been great partners. I’m so grateful to the Tiffany Network for giving me this chair and this beautiful theater to call home. And of course I’m grateful to you, the audience, who have joined us every night in here out there all around the world.”

In January 2025, Colbert acknowledged the reality of the show’s end during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers.

“It feels real now. It did not feel … I mean, I know it was real, but now, there’s four months left. You know, the shows are fun to do. But what I really love is the people I do it with.”

“We’ll do something else together, but it feels real now. I’m not thrilled with it.”

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.