Top White House advisers have privately warned US President Donald Trump that Iran’s continued resistance to Washington’s military and economic pressure could turn the conflict into a prolonged war lasting through the end of his presidency, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The report, published Wednesday and citing US officials, said Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior advisers have discussed the possibility that Tehran could withstand US pressure despite a naval blockade and other military measures.

According to the officials, Iran’s ability and determination to continue resisting could potentially extend the conflict beyond January 2029, when Trump’s current term is scheduled to end.

The private assessments appear to contrast sharply with Trump’s public claims on Wednesday that the war would end “immediately” after the November midterm elections because Iran “can’t hold out any longer.”

However, the discussions inside the White House reportedly reflect growing recognition that US military and economic pressure may fail to quickly break Iran’s resistance.

A prolonged war would also place increasing strain on US military resources and threaten to cause continued disruption in global oil markets, the report said.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has already extended some American military deployments in the Middle East into 2027, while the Pentagon is reportedly preparing to maintain certain air-defense units in the region without setting a clear end date.

Trump has also backed a longer-term campaign of economic pressure, including a naval blockade and sanctions aimed at forcing Tehran to abandon its nuclear program.

The reported strategy underscores Washington’s reliance on military and economic coercion to impose its demands on Iran. Yet the private discussions among Trump’s advisers suggest that, despite the scale of US pressure, Tehran may be prepared for a prolonged confrontation rather than surrendering to Washington’s demands.

The prospect of a conflict stretching for years raises further questions about whether the United States can achieve its objectives against Iran without becoming increasingly entangled in another costly and open-ended war in the Middle East. (ILKHA)