Top White House advisers, including US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could extend through the remainder of his presidency, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing US officials.
The report said Vance, Rubio and other officials have told Trump that Iran could continue holding out against American economic and military pressure, extending the conflict beyond the US presidential inauguration in January 2029.
“President Trump has destroyed Iran’s military capabilities and is crippling what’s left of its abysmal economy with the most powerful naval blockade in world history and crushing sanctions,” a White House spokesperson told the newspaper in response. “Only President Trump knows what he will do and when.”
The reported warning contrasts with Trump’s own public remarks about the war. The president on Wednesday predicted the war with Iran woild end “immediately after” the US midterm elections in November because Tehran was trying to influence the vote but would not be able to hold out more in the face of American economic pressure.
“I think war is going to end immediately after the election because they can’t hold out any longer. They’re desperate to try and affect the election,” he told reporters before departing for the Republican National Convention in Dallas.
