The vice president sought to downplay Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon, which he insisted had “nothing to do with” Iran.
In a series of Situation Room meetings, President Trump weighed his instincts against the deep concerns of his vice president and a pessimistic intelligence assessment. Here’s the inside story of how he made the fateful decision.
New details from the weeks leading up to the campaign show how President Trump’s alignment with Benjamin Netanyahu and a lack of sustained opposition from his inner circle put the United States on a course to war.
A jumble of emissaries — a friend, a family member, a dove and a hawk — on the Iran crisis reflects President Trump’s improvisational approach.
The 2,000 paratroopers heading to the region may give President Trump more leverage in negotiations, but they also leave him with the option of doubling down on military force.
The president has domestic and international political motivations for touting negotiations to end the war. Iran has similar ones to deny discussions.
The barrage continued as officials said the U.S. had sent Iran a 15-point plan to end the war. But Iranian officials have publicly denied that Washington and Tehran are talking directly.
In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime.
JD Vance long championed opposition to conflicts abroad. With President Trump all-in on war with Iran, the vice president is staying loyal even as allies make his qualms known.
“We’ll see what happens with the people,” President Trump said as he appeared to be distancing himself from the longer-term consequences of the war in Iran.