JD Vance has always doubted President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a military campaign against Iran. Though Trump assured that they were on the same page, the VP continues to express his doubts about Operation Epic Fury.
According to POLITICO, two senior Trump officials came forward with new claims. They stated that Vance had been more cautious about the military action than the President. The insiders stated that the Vice President remains “skeptical,” was “worried about [the chances of] success,” and “just opposes” the campaign on the Islamic Republic.
Another official stated that Vance’s role was to offer Trump and the team different views on the aftermath. He was expected to look at the issue from multiple angles. The source emphasized that JD Vance carried out his responsibilities with due diligence, and he was on board when the final decision was made.
One week into the US-Israel war on Iran, more than 1,300 Iranians have been killed, with children accounting for 30% of the dead.
US–Israeli strikes hit civilian sites, including at least 20 schools and 10 hospitals, according to UNICEF. Al Jazeera’s Fintan Monaghan reports. pic.twitter.com/JncreuhIVS
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 8, 2026
The comments were surprising. During a press conference covered by ABC News, President Trump affirmed that he and the VP had their fair share of disagreements about the strikes. Trump added that the disagreements were not a major hindrance because they had moved past their differences.
Trump remarked that JD Vance was “philosophically a little bit different than me.” He said the Vice President was “less enthusiastic” about the military strikes. However, Vance came on board with the plan, supporting the strikes out of concern that Iran would attack first if the U.S. did not act.
Hegseth: As far as the vice president, he’s an incredible member, leader of this team as well, alongside the president and the secretary of state. I can’t say enough great stuff about this team, how it works together, how it provides options to the president. The vice president… pic.twitter.com/S99nShKiiF
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 13, 2026
Though reports of disagreements keep surfacing, Pete Hegseth defends JD Vance, stating that the administration was unified over Operation Epic Fury. In a separate report from The Hill, the Defense Secretary praised Vance. He called him an incredible member and a leader of the team, alongside Trump and the Secretary of State. He added,
“I can’t say enough great stuff about this team, how it works together, how it provides options to the president. And the vice president, every single day is a key voice in that.”
Hegseth continued that Vance is an “indispensable voice” in the Trump administration. Even though insiders talked about their differences, Vance dismissed concerns that the Iran war would lead to a prolonged conflict.
During an interview with Fox News, Vance stated Donald Trump will not engage in a multi-year conflict “with no clear end in sight, and no clear objective.” He added that Trump has made it clear that Tehran can’t have a nuclear weapon. He reassured that there will be no complications that the US had previously faced during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
