JD Vance

MS NOW - Vice President JD Vance heads to Islamabad this weekend in a precarious position: hoping to negotiate a lasting end to a war in Iran he never wanted. 

Vance has privately voiced opposition to the war for weeks — to President Trump and top White House aides — even as Trump has pursued an aggressive military campaign, according to two White House officials granted anonymity to speak candidly about internal dynamics. Now, he will lead the U.S. delegation in ceasefire talks with Iran — perhaps the highest-stakes assignment of his political career.

The balancing act of publicly supporting Trump’s military campaign while privately expressing reservations has left some in Vance’s inner circle on edge, according to one of the officials.

“Vance’s national security team is extremely wary,” the official said. “So many people are afraid of being on the outs.”

The White House has forcefully defended Vance’s support for and involvement in Trump’s war effort, pushing back against early criticism that Vance had gone silent and been excluded from key meetings during the opening weeks of the war.