Defense chief Pete Hegseth is laying groundwork for a 2028 White House bid, a sign of how deeply the Iran war has scrambled Republican politics — and bad news for troops waiting on supplies.

• Hegseth traveled to Iowa, the traditional first stop for anyone testing a presidential campaign, after earlier floating runs for governor and other offices.
• His trip was postponed once because several Iowa soldiers were killed in the Iran war, which started in late February.
• The Navy is stretched thin: sailors on ships including the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Boxer report shortages, and one destroyer lost power for four days.
• Iran destroyed the main US resupply base in the Gulf, a setback that was kept quiet, and the administration is now privately debating whether to stay in the region at all.
• Pro-Israel donors are backing several hawkish candidates at once — Rubio, Pompeo, Ted Cruz — while treating JD Vance as unreliable for mild criticism.

Outlook: Expect more Republican jockeying for 2028 as the Iran war's costs mount and the fight over Vance's standing with pro-Israel backers sharpens.