US vice president gathered unfiltered views of Iran war behind closed doors

US Vice President JD Vance reportedly gathered unvarnished assessments of the Iran war behind the scenes that differed from the picture publicly presented by the administration, The New York Times reported on Thursday.

According to current and former US officials, Vance contacted US military commanders in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia throughout the spring and summer to seek their unfiltered assessments of the war in Iran.

He reportedly sought commanders’ individual judgments in their own words before they were consolidated into a broader Pentagon assessment.

The discussions focused on various issues, including the war’s objectives and tactics, casualty estimates, Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, and how adaptable Iranian forces had become.

Vance also reportedly asked for detailed accounts of what remained in commanders’ stockpiles and how transferring weapons to the Middle East could affect their ability to deter China, Russia, and North Korea.

The commanders were particularly concerned about depleted stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, with some warning that supplies of critical munitions were at their lowest levels ever.

Read: US faces missile shortages amid ongoing US-Israeli offensive on Iran: Report

Some of Vance’s conversations also involved concerns over the administration’s overall strategy and the prospects for success.

Private assessments said to differ from public picture

The report said the private assessments Vance received differed significantly from the picture presented publicly by senior US administration officials, including Trump.

The report, however, said Vance made the calls with the knowledge of Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement that “to ensure the president’s team receives all available data points regarding ongoing operations in the Middle East, the secretary has facilitated direct access to combatant commanders for the vice president and other senior White House leaders.”

Vance reportedly told colleagues within days of the war’s start that he wanted detailed briefings to inform his views and better advise Trump, seeking military officers’ unfiltered opinions to incorporate into his counsel to the president.

Read more: Trump says he does not regret Iran war despite impact it may have on midterm elections

Vance reportedly tracked the daily details of the conflict, including military operations, the internal dynamics of Iran’s political system, and the sourcing of intelligence assessments.

John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, also reportedly gave Vance direct access to agency analysts. According to the report, Vance called some analysts at their desks to ask about raw intelligence and items included in morning briefings.

Pentagon officials also said Hegseth had the Office of Naval Intelligence prepare daily reports for Vance on the Strait of Hormuz, which Trump’s other senior aides now receive as well.

The reports described which ships were transiting the strait, their flags, and their cargo.