Cracks seem to be showing inside the Trump administration as the US-Iran standoff drags on. According to a fresh report, Vice President JD Vance isn’t entirely convinced that the Pentagon is telling President Donald Trump the full truth about what’s actually happening on the ground.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine have been publicly praising the US military’s performance in the eight-week-long conflict. Both insist that American forces have wiped out Iran’s air force, navy and key defence infrastructure, while claiming the US weapons stockpile remains robust.
But a report in The Atlantic tells a different story behind closed doors. Vance, the report says, has repeatedly pushed back on these claims in private meetings.
Is Trump getting the wrong picture?
Citing senior administration officials, the report states Vance believes the version of the war being presented to Trump may be far from reality. His biggest worry is the sharp drop in the US missile stockpile.
The Vice President has reportedly flagged concerns about missile system availability. His fear is simple: if the current rate of use against Iran continues, America may not have enough left in the tank for future flashpoints involving China, North Korea or Russia.
Vance, the report adds, was against ‘Operation Epic Fury’ from the start and had warned it would backfire. He also led the first round of peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, which failed. The second round scheduled for this week has been called off.
What’s striking is the gap between Vance’s public and private positions. In public, he speaks well of Hegseth. In private, according to the report, he is openly questioning the strategic planning. Some officials quoted in the report go a step further, suggesting Hegseth simply tells the President what he wants to hear.