US Vice President J.D. Vance was the main opponent of the military operation against Iran among the closest allies of US President Donald Trump, Time magazine reports, citing sources.
“According to two sources familiar with the discussions, Vance was the most vocal opponent of the operation among the president's inner circle“, the article says.
Earlier, the publication reported that Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth was surprised by Iran's massive retaliatory strikes against American targets in the Middle East.
In mid-March, the German tabloid Bild reported that the war with Iran had divided the Trump administration between supporters of J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The article notes that the conflict in the Middle East has become a problem for Vance, who served in Iraq and has previously criticized costly US military campaigns abroad.
CNN claims that Vance initially opposed US attacks on Iran, but changed his position as Trump shifted toward war.
Commenting on Vance's position, Trump himself admitted that the vice president was "less enthusiastic" about the prospects of the operation.