Gabbard warned Trump killing Iran’s leader could bring a hard-line successor and close Strait of Hormuz
US President Donald Trump holds a meeting alongside Vice President JD Vance in the Situation Room at the White House in Washington, DC, US June 21, 2025. The White House/Handout via REUTERS
United States President Donald Trump launched the February offensive against Iran despite explicit warnings from his intelligence chief, vice president and senior military advisers that the conflict could trigger a global energy crisis and lead to a more hard-line Iranian leadership, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to people familiar with pre-war meetings, then-director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Trump that killing Iran’s supreme leader would likely “usher in a more hard-line” successor and force the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which one-fifth of global oil and gas trade passes.
US Vice President JD Vance also advocated a more “cautious”, negotiation-first approach, arguing that a diplomatic deal would be less costly than a war with “unwieldy consequences”.
While top military officials, including Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, briefed Trump on “decisive” strike options, other officials raised concerns about munitions shortages and risks to an “overstretched force”. Trump reportedly dismissed those concerns, suggesting the military could “handle any problems” as they arose.
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The report said Trump was initially pleased with the start of the war and “puffed out his chest” at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser when informed of the killing of then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
However, as fuel prices soared and the war stalled, regional leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar pressed the White House for a diplomatic solution. Internal polling showed nearly 80% of Americans favoured an agreement to end the war, prompting Trump to pursue the June interim truce.
Some Republicans also warned Trump about the potential impact of a prolonged war on their chances in the November midterm elections.
The 60-day window for nuclear negotiations ended on August 17 without a final settlement.
The administration has since shifted back to Operation Economic Outcast, a campaign of economic warfare aimed at weakening the Iranian government through a sustained naval blockade and sanctions.
