What did Tommy Vietor say about Trump striking Iran's Pickaxe Mountain after the midterms?

Tommy Vietor said renewed US conflict with Iran was more likely than not after the midterms, and that Pickaxe Mountain was the likeliest target. He doubted the nuclear-strike claim in Tucker Carlson's post, suspecting a Gulf source was spinning Carlson. He thought dropping the 21,000-pound conventional MOAB bomb fit Trump better, since it would bring headlines without strategic effect. Vietor added that Hegseth wants another round while Vance and Witkoff want a deal.

• Vietor said an Iranian offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz asked for sanctions relief and frozen assets that Trump was unlikely to accept.
• Citing The Wall Street Journal, he said the escort mission needs 50,000 US troops, 20 Navy ships, two carrier strike groups and $2 to $3 billion a month.
• Vietor said Rubio, Bessent and Ratcliffe favor keeping economic pressure on Iran.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Pod Save America (2026-11-03). Read the whole episode summary →

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