Trump advisers warn Iran war may last through his term, WSJ reports

Senior White House advisers, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have privately warned President Donald Trump that the war with Iran could continue through the remainder of his presidency, potentially beyond the January 2029 inauguration, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials.

The private assessment contrasts sharply with Trump's public remarks on September 9, when he said he expected the conflict to end "immediately after" the US midterm elections in November, arguing Iran was trying to influence the vote but could not sustain resistance much longer.

“I expect the war to end immediately after the midterm elections in November”

The warning came as Iran launched its largest wave of attacks on shipping since the six-month-old war began, striking 10 vessels near the Strait of Hormuz after the US sank five Iranian oil tankers. Benchmark Brent crude futures surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since July.

At least one seafarer was killed and another reported missing in the tanker attacks. Iran also fired ballistic missiles at a US military base in Jordan; Jordan said it intercepted 18 missiles with two falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas, and a US official confirmed all American troops were accounted for.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards threatened to sharply escalate responses to any further attacks and said Iran would soon publish maps of an enlarged off-limits maritime zone extending as far as Chabahar on the coast near Pakistan. The flare-up follows a month of relative calm during which the US pursued economic pressure on Tehran.