The battle in the White House: Hegseth pushes for war with Iran, Vance opposes — and Trump changes his mind
An Israeli official reveals heated debates in the White House: Hegseth and Cooper push to resume the war with Iran, while Vance, Kushner, and Witkoff oppose. Trump repeatedly changes his mind and prefers a deal. According to sources, Netanyahu pushes for an attack to resolve his political deadlock.
An Israeli official exposed to the American dilemma described heated debates in the White House over whether to resume fighting Iran. On one side, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CENTCOM commander Bradley Cooper push to resume the war, while Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff strongly oppose and prefer the diplomatic channel. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine takes a hesitant stance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio presents options but avoids choosing, apparently to avoid clashing with Vance. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushes to tighten the economic blockade. President Trump repeatedly changes his mind and prefers a deal that would allow him to claim victory. In Israel, assessments are that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushes for war to resolve his political deadlock. Vance argued that the war caused the Republican defeat in the midterm elections, but Trump's internal polls showed that Israel and the war were not mentioned among voters who changed their stance. Party sources said Vance hurt his chances of becoming the 2028 nominee.