Trump Pushes Iran Strikes Despite Midterm Rout as White House Split Erupts
Trump administration officials are divided over whether to resume military strikes on Iran, even as the president insists the war was "worth it" following heavy midterm losses.
President Donald Trump is facing a critical decision on Iran as his administration splits over whether to restart military strikes, according to reports. Some officials are urging him to resume military operations against Iran, while others are calling for an end to the conflict [1]. The internal division comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly asked Trump to renew military strikes against Iran during a phone call, even as Qatar led mediation efforts to broker an interim deal between Washington and Tehran [3].
Trump has renewed his threat of military strikes, saying the United States may have to "give them the hammer" [4]. The president has suggested he favors giving diplomacy more time, even as Netanyahu presses for an attack [4]. Iran has said it wants a settlement "as soon as possible," with both sides trading threats while keeping diplomacy alive [5].
Some US officials view Israeli claims about Iran's chemical weapons as an attempt by Netanyahu's government to push the Trump administration toward resuming large-scale military operations against Iran [2]. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has urged Iran and the United States to hold talks and reach an agreement to end their ongoing conflict, warning against any further military escalation in the region [6].
The Iran decision comes as Trump faces new political limits after midterm elections cost Republicans control of Congress. The loss is expected to push the White House toward a more aggressive foreign policy and greater reliance on executive orders that bypass Congress [8]. Trump's agenda is likely to face stronger checks with Democrats in charge, with investigations into the administration expected and confirming new nominees potentially becoming harder [9].
Trump has ruled out replacing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, saying he is performing well, even as the administration faces growing political pressure over the fallout from the war with Iran and Republican losses in the midterm elections [11]. The president said going to war with Iran was "worth it," even as his party suffered heavy losses, though he stopped short of acknowledging any link between the war and the election outcome [7].
Israeli media reported that Trump said Washington will end aid to Israel by the end of the year, though he did not give further details [10].