Rubio and Hegseth Push to Weaken Iran Militarily

Views within the inner circle of U.S. President Donald Trump diverge on the next step toward Iran, as pressure mounts to make a decisive choice between resuming diplomatic efforts or escalating military confrontation.

A U.S. official said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are highly skeptical about the possibility of reaching a nuclear deal with the current Iranian regime, and believe that Trump’s legacy should involve further weakening the regime, including through additional military strikes, according to Axios.

In contrast, Vice President J.D. Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner support resuming negotiations, while Trump remains skeptical that Iran would agree to a deal he would find acceptable.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who leads the economic pressure campaign known as the “Economically Pariah” operation, is among Trump’s closest advisors urging him to give economic pressure more time rather than rushing back into military confrontation.

A U.S. official said Trump might be more inclined to order a wide-scale military operation if Republicans suffer a significant loss in the midterm elections on Tuesday.

“If he feels embarrassed or that he has lost influence, he will do something bold. That’s what everyone is telling the Iranians. Their best chance to reach a deal is now.”

However, a White House official insisted that election results would not influence Trump’s decisions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing the U.S. president to launch a joint military operation against Iran immediately after the elections.