By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is facing growing divisions within his administration over the war with Iran, with Vice President JD Vance privately criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach and urging a negotiated end to the conflict, according to US media reports.

The reported disagreements have come into sharper focus after Republicans suffered sweeping losses in the November 3 midterm elections, with Democrats winning control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

According to a report published by Axios on Thursday, Vance has led a faction within Trump’s inner circle that has been pressing the president to reach a deal with Tehran and end the war.

The report, citing sources familiar with internal discussions, said Vance privately accused Netanyahu of “being wrong on everything” regarding Iran.

Vance had also repeatedly warned that the conflict could cost Republicans politically, arguing that its unpopularity and economic consequences would hurt the party at the ballot box.

The election results appear to have reinforced those concerns, as voters in several traditionally Republican areas backed Democratic candidates.

- Vance blames Iran war for Republican losses

Vance publicly distanced himself from Trump’s defence of the war on Wednesday, saying the conflict was the main reason Republicans lost the midterm elections.

“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote in a post on X, arguing that the political and economic costs of the conflict needed to be acknowledged.

Reuters reported that Vance questioned whether the war had been worth its costs and said his earlier advice to pursue an end to the conflict had been sound.

Trump acknowledged that the war had contributed to the Republican defeat but maintained that launching the military campaign had been the right decision.

“I did the right thing. I would have done it again,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal, according to Reuters.

The Associated Press reported that Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress, ending unified Republican control and delivering a significant setback to Trump's presidency.

The new Democratic majorities will be able to block parts of Trump's legislative agenda, scrutinise his administration and launch congressional investigations.

- Disagreements over military strategy

The divisions reportedly extend beyond the vice president's office.

Some White House advisers have blamed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for persuading Trump before the conflict that the military campaign against Iran would be relatively short, according to reports about internal administration discussions.

Hegseth has been among the administration's early supporters of the military campaign.

A separate report by The Atlantic, cited by The Times of Israel, said Trump was considering whom to blame for the course of the war, including Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. The report said advisers had given Trump overly optimistic assessments about how quickly the conflict could end.

Trump now faces difficult choices over whether to resume major military strikes, pursue negotiations or continue relying on a naval blockade and economic sanctions to pressure Tehran.

Axios reported on Thursday that US forces were preparing for a possible resumption of major combat operations, while advisers remained divided over the best way forward.

- Israel faces diplomatic and political challenges

The fallout from the US midterm elections could also complicate Israel's relationship with Washington.

An analysis published by The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday said four elections in 10 days - in Serbia, Brazil, Israel and the United States - had weakened Israel's diplomatic position and raised questions about its political future.

The newspaper noted that Israel's October 27 election left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc short of a parliamentary majority, while the defeat of pro-Israel political forces in Serbia and Brazil could affect relations with those countries.

The Democratic takeover of Congress is particularly significant because the incoming lawmakers are expected to debate US military assistance to Israel, arms sales and Washington's broader policy towards the Israeli government.

The Jerusalem Post also pointed to growing criticism of Israel among some Republicans, with the Iran war becoming a source of political friction inside Trump's own party.

Despite the electoral setback, Trump has defended the decision to attack Iran, saying the United States could not allow Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons.

The war, launched jointly by the United States and Israel in February, reached a stalemate following an April ceasefire, while diplomatic efforts to secure a lasting agreement have yet to produce a breakthrough