Trump Team Split on Iran Strategy After Midterm Loss

The Trump administration is divided over its next steps regarding Iran following the Republican defeat in the US midterm elections, according to The Wall Street Journal. Officials are split between advocating for renewed strikes and calling for a withdrawal from the military operation. Some administration officials are pushing Trump to launch new attacks on Iran and then pursue peace before his presidential term ends, while others advise accepting losses and winding down the operation. The situation highlights a deepening internal rift over the war, with Vice President JD Vance publicly blaming the conflict for the Republicans' devastating election loss. Vance's criticism marks a rare moment of distancing from Trump, despite his previous public defenses of the war, and signals his longstanding opposition to it. Trump has acknowledged the war's role in rising gasoline prices and the electoral defeat, while Tehran fears potential new strikes and the White House may consider replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.