Vice President JD Vance has repeatedly questioned whether the Pentagon is providing President Donald Trump with accurate information about the ongoing war with Iran, according to a report in The Atlantic. Vance has privately expressed doubts about the rosy portrayal of the conflict presented by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, who have insisted that American weapons stockpiles remain high and that damage to Iran's military infrastructure has been severe.
Vance has reportedly raised concerns with the president about the availability of specific missile systems, fearing that a shortage of munitions could hamper US readiness for future confrontations with China, North Korea, or Russia. According to the report, the vice president has presented his worries as his own observations rather than accusing Hegseth or Caine of deliberately misleading Trump, in an effort to avoid personalising the issue or creating divisions within the war cabinet.
Despite Hegseth's upbeat assessments—claiming that the Iranian air force is decimated and that US forces have complete control of Iranian airspace—internal intelligence assessments paint a different picture. Intelligence indicates that Tehran still retains two-thirds of its air force, the majority of its missile-launching capabilities, and most of its small boats used for mining and harassing traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank has estimated that the US has already used more than half of its supplies of four key munitions.
Vance was reportedly opposed to the war from the start, speaking out against Operation Epic Fury before it began on February 28. Although he has since pledged support to Trump, he has reiterated his belief that the conflict was a bad idea likely to cause mass casualties and regional chaos. The vice president now believes his political future hinges on the outcome of the Iran war, according to advisers.
Vance led unsuccessful peace talks in Islamabad earlier this month and was scheduled to travel for a second round before they were cancelled. Trump joked before the first round that if a deal failed, he would blame Vance, but would take full credit if it succeeded. The Pentagon has responded to the report by stating that Hegseth and other leaders consistently provide the president with a complete and unvarnished picture.
