Vance, Witkoff push for peace talks; Hegseth, Cooper favor renewed strikes; Rubio, Bessent prefer sanctions and trade blockade
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Donald Trump faces a critical decision on the future of the Iran war after Republicans suffered a heavy defeat in the US midterm elections. White House advisers have split into three camps — pushing for peace negotiations, a resumption of large-scale military operations, or tighter economic sanctions — each offering a different path forward. Analysts say that whichever option Trump chooses, his weakened political standing after the midterm loss will make the decision a costly one.
According to the Wall Street Journal on Friday (local time), since the midterm elections on Tuesday, Trump's advisers and foreign allies have been working intensively to shape the president's thinking on whether to end the Iran war or resume military operations.
Vice President JD Vance and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are emphasizing a diplomatic solution. The two have urged Trump to continue supporting diplomatic efforts to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance in particular has attributed the midterm defeat in part to the Iran war. He reportedly conveyed that view directly to Trump before posting a message to the same effect on X.
Some outside advisers have also passed word to Trump that the time has come to end the war.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and US Central Command chief Brad Cooper, by contrast, are pushing for a resumption of large-scale military operations.
The two have advised that renewed strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals are necessary to compel Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.
Hawkish outside advisers have also called Trump directly since the midterm elections, arguing that getting Iran to give up its nuclear weapons would define his political legacy.
The US Department of Defense says it is ready to resume military operations swiftly once Trump gives the order. However, officials said the most suitable window for resuming operations would come after additional military assets arrive in the Middle East later this month.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, currently transiting from the Pacific to the Middle East, is expected to arrive no earlier than two weeks from now after a port call in Singapore. An additional Marine expeditionary unit is also expected to join forces in the Middle East later this month.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are offering yet another approach. The two are said to favor tightening sanctions on Iran and maintaining the trade blockade.
Rather than resuming military operations or rushing into negotiations, their plan is to sustain economic pressure and extract concessions from Tehran over time.
Opinions are also divided among US allies. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still advocates resuming airstrikes against Iran, while Gulf state allies have expressed skepticism about expanding military operations.
Qatar, which is mediating negotiations with Iran, has proposed drastically cutting the preliminary talks period — originally set at 60 days — to just two days, and moving directly into nuclear negotiations.
That could offer Trump an exit strategy to end the war, though it remains unclear whether Iran would accept the proposal.
The Wall Street Journal said Trump now faces the prospect of making a consequential decision without the safety net of a unified team of advisers or a favorable political environment.
According to officials, Trump has oscillated between dismissing the midterm results as a referendum on himself and at other times taking the electoral defeat hard.
The paper said the conflicting advice from his advisers is making Trump's decision even harder, and that none of the three options — peace negotiations, resumed military operations, or tighter sanctions — is likely to yield a clear political advantage.
A White House official said Trump is in no rush to decide, noting that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz are continuing even as Iran's economy remains depressed.
The official added that Trump would ultimately make the decision that best serves US interests.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
