Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of Life Expectancy in the relationship between rumination and life satisfaction among adults with war anxiety in urban areas of Ardakan. This study was descriptive–correlational in design. The statistical population comprised all individuals over 30 years of age residing in Ardakan in 2025, from whom 348 participants were selected using purposive sampling. The study instruments were administered online and distributed via Eitaa virtual groups. In the first step, participants were screened using the War Anxiety Scale developed by Noshali and Barkhordari (2025), and those scoring above 45 were included in the next stage of the study. The research instruments consisted of the War Anxiety Scale by Noshali and Barkhordari (2025), the Satisfaction with Life Scale by Diener et al. (1985), the Scale Of War‑Related Rumination Shomali and Barrkhordari (2026), and Snyder et al.’s (1991) Hope Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS v26 and AMOS v24. Bootstrap analysis showed that the direct effect of rumination on life satisfaction was negative and significant (β = -0.375, p < 0.001), its direct effect on Life Expectancy was negative and significant (β = -0.502, p < 0.001), and the direct effect of Life Expectancy on life satisfaction was positive and significant (β = 0.211, p = 0.002). Furthermore, the indirect effect of war-related rumination on life satisfaction through the mediating role of Life Expectancy was negative and significant (β = -0.260, p = 0.004).