Top White House advisers have privately told President Trump that the war with Iran could continue for years, potentially lasting through the remainder of his presidency and even beyond January 2029, as Tehran continues resisting U.S. pressure, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials have discussed the possibility with Trump in meetings at the White House. Their concern is not that Iran has announced a plan to simply wait for Trump to leave office, but that Tehran may be able to withstand the U.S.-led blockade, sanctions and ongoing military pressure far longer than Washington initially hoped.

Trump has publicly projected a much faster end to the conflict, telling reporters Wednesday that the war would end “immediately” after the November midterm elections because Iran would no longer be able to hold out. Privately, however, his advisers are preparing for a very different possibility: a conflict lasting another two years or more.

The Pentagon is already planning for a prolonged American military presence in the Middle East. Some U.S. air-defense units have no firm withdrawal date, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended certain deployments into 2027, and roughly 50,000 American troops remain stationed across the region. Marine and Air Force units are also continuing to rotate into the Middle East.

U.S. officials are increasingly concerned that Iran could adapt its attacks and rebuild stocks of missiles, drones, radar systems and other military equipment as the conflict continues. A drawn-out war would also keep significant U.S. military resources tied up in the Middle East rather than available for Europe and Asia.

Trump has privately pushed for a quicker end to the fighting while continuing to support a long-term economic campaign intended to force Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program. The administration is therefore confronting two competing realities: the president wants Iran to capitulate soon, while his own advisers believe Tehran could remain defiant well into the final years of his presidency.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)