After the midterm elections, Trump considers war with Iran... Staff are in conflict over ‘negotiations vs. airstrikes’

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 6th (local time) that even after the Republican Party suffered a crushing defeat in the November 3 U.S. midterm elections, President Donald Trump's advisers are divided into three groups over the direction of the war with Iran: negotiating an end to the war, resuming large-scale military operations, and maintaining economic pressure.

According to the WSJ, since the midterm elections on the 3rd, President Trump's advisers and overseas allies have been busy trying to influence the president's decisions on whether to end the war with Iran or resume large-scale military operations.

Vice President JD Vance and Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff asked President Trump to continue supporting diplomatic efforts to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

In particular, it is known that Vice President Vance directly conveyed this position to President Trump before posting a post on

Other outside advisors are also said to have delivered a message to President Trump that it is time to end the war.

On the other hand, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper support the resumption of large-scale combat operations.

They have advised the president that only by resuming attacks targeting Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals can they force Iran to give up its nuclear weapons.

Hard-line outside advisors also called President Trump after the midterm elections, arguing that getting Iran to give up its nuclear weapons would determine his political legacy.

The U.S. Department of Defense is prepared to quickly carry out operations if President Trump orders them to resume.

However, officials told WSJ that the ideal time to resume operations would be from the end of this month, when additional equipment arrives in the Middle East.

The US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, currently moving from the Pacific Ocean to the Middle East, is scheduled to arrive in the Middle East at least two weeks after stopping at Singapore. Additional Marine Corps expeditionary units are also expected to join the Middle East later this month.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Besant favor strengthening sanctions against Iran and continuing the trade blockade.

Rather than resuming military operations or rushing to negotiations, the idea is to extract concessions from Iran through economic pressure.

Opinions from U.S. allies are also mixed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still insists on resuming airstrikes, but Gulf allies are skeptical.

Qatar, which mediates negotiations with Iran, is proposing a plan to drastically shorten the preliminary talks period of 60 days to two days and move directly to nuclear negotiations.

This could be an exit strategy for President Trump, but it is unclear whether Iran will accept it, sources said.

WSJ diagnosed that this discussion surrounding President Trump's decision shows that he is at a crossroads of making a critical choice without the safeguards of a unified staff or a friendly political environment.

According to officials, President Trump is showing mixed reactions, sometimes dismissing the interpretation that the midterm election results are a judgment on him, but sometimes painfully accepting it.

The newspaper pointed out that the differing opinions and conflicting advice of his staff were making President Trump's decision more difficult.

Additionally, the WSJ pointed out that although President Trump is showing confidence, it is difficult to gain a clear advantage no matter which of the three options is chosen.

A White House official said that the president is in no rush to make a decision amidst the economic downturn in Iran and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and that he will ultimately make a decision that is in the best interest of the United States.