Pence Urges Trump to ‘Finish the Job’ in Iran After Midterms

In a Washington Examiner interview recorded in Boston, former Vice President Mike Pence rejected Vice President JD Vance’s claim that the Iran war itself cost Republicans the midterms.

Pence Calls for a New Plan

“I do believe that now that we’re past the midterms, that the president ought to bring together General Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Cooper, and ask for a plan, ask them what they need, and unleash the armed forces of the United States and Israel to finish the job,” Pence said.

He was referring to Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander. Pence described Cooper as a general.

The remarks followed Democrats’ victories in both chambers of Congress on Nov. 3. Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israeli campaign, began on Feb. 28.

Dispute Over Midterm Losses

Vance wrote on X the next day that “the reason we lost is the war,” pointing to voters’ demands to end the fighting, as Clash Report reported.

“Well, I just disagree with the vice president that we lost the elections because of the war,” Pence said. He argued that Trump “was absolutely right to take the fight for the first time in history directly to the leading state sponsor of terrorism in the world.”

“I think the overwhelming majority of the American people supported Operation Epic Fury and were inspired by our military,” Pence said. He argued the problem “was the fact that we stopped.”

That claim of overwhelming national support is Pence’s assessment. Later surveys treated the war’s duration and fuel costs as a liability, and Trump has said the war was a factor while standing by the decision.

“The American people saw the prices of fuel rising and they saw no discernible path to achieving a victory in Iran,” he said.

Pause After Major Combat

The main combat phase lasted about 38 days, close to the “five weeks of unbroken success” Pence described before a pause. A Pakistan-mediated ceasefire was announced around April 7–8.

Caine called the ceasefire a pause and said the joint force remained ready to resume operations if ordered.

The Pentagon has cited more than 13,000 U.S. targets struck by April 8, official claims not fully verified independently.

Criticism of the Memorandum

Pence also dismissed a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding associated with Vance, saying it “isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on,” and described the post-combat approach as “appeasement.”

A wider confrontation has continued, including a U.S. naval blockade and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a separate interview published a day earlier, Pence also rejected the idea that the Iran war alone explained the losses.