Top White House advisers privately tell President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could continue for much longer than he publicly expects, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing U.S. officials.
The advisers, the report says, include Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They reportedly warn that Iran could keep resisting U.S. pressure and that the conflict may run past Inauguration Day in January 2029. The White House does not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The reports arrive as Iran and the United States launch what multiple outlets describe as the biggest wave of attacks on shipping since the start of the six-month-old war. They also note a contrast between private warnings and Trump’s public statements on the timeline for ending the conflict. Trump says he expects the war to end “immediately after” the U.S. midterm elections in November, while also indicating diplomacy could still be an option but is not his preferred approach.
