Disagreement over whether to continue the war with Iran has been running for months inside US President Donald Trump’s administration. Vice President JD Vance had earlier sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in private conversations and warned that the Republican Party could lose control of Congress because of the war, according to reports by the US outlets Axios, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post.
According to Axios, Vance said Netanyahu was getting “everything wrong” on Iran. He also advised Trump to halt military operations and open talks with Tehran. He feared that the war had become deeply unpopular with American voters and could be one of the reasons Republicans lost at the polls.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth argued for continuing the military campaign, while Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and several other senior officials favoured a diplomatic solution.
The Wall Street Journal reported that senior officials met in the White House Situation Room in September to discuss the war’s political impact. Concern was raised there that publicity about US military strikes on Iran before the election could hurt Republican candidates. The United States later carried out limited strikes on Iran’s missile launch systems and military equipment, but did little to publicise them.
Axios also reported that Netanyahu had pressed Trump to launch fresh strikes on Iran before the midterm elections. Trump decided not to resume attacks before the vote, although preparations to deploy more aircraft carriers and Marines to the Middle East are continuing.
After the Republicans’ defeat, Vance said on social media on Wednesday: “We lost because of the war.” In his view, the Iran war, the rising cost of living and discontent over foreign policy drove away many voters who had backed Trump in 2024.
Trump has also acknowledged that higher fuel prices caused by the war affected the election. But he has defended his decision to launch the military campaign, citing the need to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Trump now has three options on Iran: launch a new large-scale military campaign, reach an agreement with Tehran, or increase pressure on Iran by keeping up the naval blockade and economic sanctions.
Efforts are under way, with Qatar mediating, to draft a possible agreement between the United States and Iran. But part of the administration favours keeping the blockade and economic pressure in place. Caught between military strategy, a diplomatic settlement and domestic political pressure, Trump faces hard decisions on Iran policy.
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