Some of US President Donald Trump's advisers are secretly urging him to publicly announce a plan to withdraw from the war in Iran.
This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter.
The advisers want him to declare that the military has largely achieved its goals in the war, the WSJ reported.
Although US officials have sometimes offered different lists of war goals, they have generally included destroying Iran's missile program, destroying the Iranian navy, stopping Iran's support for regional proxy forces and blocking Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The newspaper's article has been categorically denied by White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt.
"This article is full of nonsense from anonymous sources who, I can guarantee, are not in the room with President Trump. The President's closest aides are focused 24/7 on ensuring that Operation "Epic Fury" "continues to be a huge success, and the end of these operations will ultimately be determined by the commander in chief," Leavitt said.
The WSJ said some of Trump's advisers have warned him that a prolonged war would erode support for him, even if Republicans largely support strikes on Iran for now.
Advisors have received calls from Republicans expressing concern about what the war would mean for the upcoming midterm elections, the newspaper said.
As a result, advisers have decided they need a more aggressive public relations plan to sell the war amid rising gas prices, the WSJ said.
"The vast majority of Americans support ending the threat posed by the Iranian regime and supporting killing terrorists, and that's exactly what President Trump will achieve," Leavitt said in response to the article.
Polls show a slight majority of Americans oppose the war, with responses largely along party lines.
Despite concerns from some of his advisers, administration officials told the newspaper that the war is unlikely to end as long as Iran continues to attack countries in the region and as long as Israel wants to continue striking targets in Iran.
Trump will not stop fighting until he achieves a satisfactory victory, especially when the United States has a military advantage, a senior administration official told the WSJ.
The newspaper cited anonymous sources familiar with Trump's thinking as saying that the president was surprised that Iran had not surrendered amid relentless U.S. and Israeli strikes.