Top White House advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned President Donald Trump that the conflict with Iran could extend through the remainder of his presidency, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The advisers told Trump in private discussions in the Oval Office and the Situation Room that Tehran could continue to resist U.S. pressure, potentially prolonging the conflict beyond Inauguration Day in January 2029, the Journal added.
The reported warning contrasts with Trump’s own public remarks about the war. The president said on Wednesday he expected the war to end “immediately after” the U.S. midterm elections in November, arguing that Iran was trying to influence the vote but would be unable to sustain its resistance much longer.
Trump also acknowledged diplomatic talks are still a possibility but were not preferred.
(Reporting by Carlos Méndez in Mexico City; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)