Trump says ‘we’re talking’ to Iran as advisers clash

President Trump is under pressure from his own advisers to decide whether to end the eight-month war with Iran or go back to large-scale strikes. The push follows Republican losses in the November 3 midterms, which Vice President JD Vance openly blamed on the conflict. On Friday, November 6, Trump said only "We're talking to them" when reporters asked about his message to Tehran. U.S. officials told Axios that for now he is willing to let diplomacy play out, but that the military could launch strikes on fairly short notice if he orders them.axios.com

A divided inner circle

The Wall Street Journal reported that Vance and Gulf allies are urging Trump to end the war. On the other side, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper have argued for renewed major military operations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have pushed for tougher sanctions and for keeping the naval blockade in place, while envoy Steve Witkoff has sided with Vance on diplomacy. Hawkish outside advisers have told Trump that his legacy depends on forcing Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, according to the Journal.wsj.com

Trump met with his national security team on Thursday. Afterward he said, "I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to. You'll know soon enough," according to Fox News. A U.S. official said Central Command is finalizing plans but has not received a new directive, and a third carrier strike group is expected to arrive in the region in mid-November, El Correo reported.elcorreo.com+1

Vance's back channel

Vance has spent the past two weeks personally involved in indirect talks aimed at a new ceasefire and a return to nuclear negotiations, Axios reported. He speaks almost daily with Qatar's prime minister and Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir. He has also written to Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, proposing direct talks. Sources said progress has been "very slow." Trump spoke on Friday with Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who stressed the need to "continue dialogue and pursuing diplomatic means," according to Axios. Tehran has not formally answered Vance's letter, Iran International noted.iranintl.com+1

"Everyone knows why we lost"

On Wednesday, after Democrats won both chambers of Congress, Vance wrote that "the reason we lost is the war," the AP reported. He added, "If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so." Trump called that assessment "largely true," but said, "if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again," ABC News reported.abcnews.com+1

About 6 in 10 voters said the war was the "wrong decision," according to the AP Voter Poll. The Congressional Budget Office put the war's military cost at $38 billion as of September, and 19 U.S. service members have been killed, Fortune noted. Escalating carries its own risks: U.S. munitions and air defenses have been depleted by eight months of fighting, and starting in January Trump will face a Democratic Congress that is almost uniformly opposed to the war.apnews.com+1