Trump asks about Hegseth and Caine's performance in the war with the Islamic Republic

Donald Trump, the US president, has asked people close to him about the performance of Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, and General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in the war with the Islamic Republic, two days before the congressional midterm elections. The Atlantic reported this on Monday, 2 November 2026, citing two advisers who are outside the administration and close to Trump; the same advisers say renewed strikes on the Islamic Republic could begin shortly after Tuesday's election.

According to these advisers, Trump has not yet ordered the strikes to resume. Last week Hegseth and Caine, together with Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, presented military options at the White House. They range from strikes lasting a few hours to an operation of several days or weeks. Continuing the US naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz while threatening strikes, or ending the confrontation, are the other two paths open to the US president.

The war with the Islamic Republic and the congressional elections

According to the same report, Trump sees the war as at least part of the reason for the Republicans' political troubles and has complained that his message is not reaching voters. Hegseth and Caine, who spoke optimistically about the operation's progress in the first weeks of the war, have not held a press conference since late April. A US official told Axios on Saturday that if the Republicans suffer a heavy defeat in the election, Trump may lean more toward a major military operation; a White House official, however, says the election result has no bearing on his decision.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a phone call with Trump on Saturday, had asked for the strikes to resume immediately after the election. The US had earlier warned the Arab states of the Persian Gulf to be ready for a new round of strikes after the election. Trump said in Iowa on Sunday that the Islamic Republic will either make a deal or the US will finish the job.

Supporters of a strike within the US administration say economic pressure has worked and a fresh military blow would bring the authorities in Tehran back to the negotiating table. According to The Atlantic, a longer operation could first target the Islamic Republic's air defences, then its forces around the Strait of Hormuz and, in a later phase, infrastructure.

Whether a new round of strikes on the Islamic Republic goes ahead depends on Trump's decision after Tuesday's election.