Iranupdated 21m ago3 min read
Archive photo · 2 June 2025Trump Advisers Split Over Ending Iran War Or Resuming Strikes As Iran Delegation Heads To Qatar
3 West Asian1 Israeli1 OtherPhoto: Daniel Torok, Public domain · Cropped for layout
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Trump advisers divided over ending Iran war or resuming strikes. Iranian delegation expected to return to Doha within days to discuss agreement.
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Talks, splits, and timing
American media outlets described a split inside President Donald Trump’s advisers and allies over whether to end the war with Iran or resume strikes, while The Wall Street Journal said an Iranian delegation is expected to return to Qatar within days to discuss a possible agreement. The Wall Street Journal reported that the proposed agreement would shorten the timeline of pre-negotiations from 60 days to only two, enabling a near-immediate move to nuclear negotiations. A White House official told The Wall Street Journal that Trump is not in a hurry to make any decision on Iran, citing the Iranian economy’s stagnation and continued oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
NBC News said Trump’s advisers warned him that the chances of resuming war on Iran are shrinking, and the network reported that Pentagon officials told Trump that continuing the broad displacement of forces in the region harms military readiness. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Gulf foreign ministers are seeking to arrange a phone call with Trump or hold a high-level meeting in Washington to present arguments in favor of a deal with Iran.
War or diplomacy
The Wall Street Journal reported that Vice President Mike Pence and his envoy Steve Weitekoff are seeking to support diplomatic efforts to reach a deal, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bissetn support strengthening sanctions and continuing the blockade on Iran. The Wall Street Journal said a team including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Centcom commander General Joseph Votel backed a return to broad-scale military operations against Iran during briefings to Trump on military options. NBC News reported that Trump has not made a decision on resuming large-scale hostilities against Iran, even as it said he agreed in recent months to launch a major campaign but canceled operations hours before execution.
Anadolu Ajansı reported that Vice President JD Vance privately criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged Trump to negotiate an end to the conflict, citing Axios. Anadolu Ajansı also reported that senior officials held a meeting in the White House Situation Room in September to discuss the political consequences of the Iran war, and it said Trump agreed that publicizing continuing US military strikes would not help the party’s electoral prospects.
What is at stake next
Bloomberg reported that the United States and Iran are moving toward a possible breakthrough as Tehran shows willingness to discuss issues related to its nuclear program that had previously been off the negotiating table. Bloomberg said Iran is studying proposals related to its nuclear activities presented by the mediator, Qatar, and it reported that any concession could represent a significant advance in negotiations stalled since the failure of the provisional peace agreement reached in June. Ynetnews said an Iranian official told Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya that Tehran was waiting for practical steps from Washington to build trust, and it quoted the official saying, "We are open to negotiations that ensure our legitimate demands are met."
“We are open to negotiations that ensure our legitimate demands are met.”
Ynetnews reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin met Thursday with Mohsen Rezaei at the Kremlin, and it said Rezaei traveled to Moscow carrying a personal letter to Putin from Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Anadolu Ajansı reported that Vance wrote on social media, "The reason we lost is the war," linking the conflict to Republican losses after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s elections.