Vance publicly breaks with Trump on Iran war after GOP midterm losses

Vice President JD Vance publicly blamed the Iran war for the Republican Party's devastating midterm election losses, breaking with President Trump in a rare public rebuke of the military campaign. Vance stated the war and resulting higher energy prices caused voters to abandon the GOP. Trump acknowledged Vance's assessment was "largely true" but defended the war as necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The split follows months of internal White House debate over the conflict's unpopularity, with officials agreeing to downplay ongoing strikes to protect vulnerable Republicans. Administration officials are now divided on next steps, with some urging fresh strikes and others advocating a wind-down. The Pentagon has prepared for potential major combat operations, while Iranian officials celebrated the midterm results as a political defeat for Trump.