Trump questions Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine as he looks for someone to blame for prolonged Iran war

President Donald Trump has been privately questioning allies about the performance of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine as frustration grows inside the White House over the prolonged war with Iran, The Atlantic reported.

Two outside advisers close to Trump told the magazine that the president is looking for someone to blame as the conflict approaches its ninth month, despite early expectations within his administration that it would be short and decisive.

Trump has become particularly focused on advisers who assured him the war would end well before Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to the report. He also increasingly views the conflict as a factor in Republicans’ political difficulties ahead of the vote.

Some people close to Trump have directed particular criticism at Hegseth, accusing him of presenting an overly optimistic picture of the campaign.

“Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” one outside adviser told The Atlantic.

The Pentagon rejected that characterization. Spokesman Sean Parnell said suggestions that Hegseth had failed to give Trump the full operational picture were “dead wrong.”

The White House also publicly defended both officials. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump has “full confidence” in Hegseth and Caine and that they continue working to execute the president’s objectives.

Hegseth and Caine met Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House last week to present options for the next phase of the Iran conflict. Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also visited the White House.

The options reportedly range from strikes lasting several hours to operations extending for days or weeks, including attacks on Iranian air defenses, infrastructure or nuclear facilities. Trump could instead maintain military pressure around the Strait of Hormuz without launching another major offensive.

No order for renewed strikes has been issued.

The scrutiny of Hegseth and Caine comes as Trump weighs whether to escalate again after the midterms while diplomatic efforts involving Iran, the United States and regional mediators continue in parallel.