US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, has been privately looking for an off-ramp in the Iran war, according to a Saturday CNN report citing three sources familiar with the matter.
According to the report, over the past few weeks, Caine has been making it clear to other Trump administration advisors that available military options may not be enough to achieve US President Donald Trump’s stated war objectives.
“Caine is looking for an off-ramp,” one of the sources told CNN.
Caine is reportedly not the only official who shares concerns regarding the potential escalation of military operations. He raised the idea of finding an off-ramp from the conflict with other officials, such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Vice President JD Vance, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, according to two of CNN’s sources.
Like-minded administration officials have allegedly been engaged in discussions with Caine regarding interagency coordination regarding the matter, aiming to make clear to Trump in future meetings the limitations of available military options.
One source told CNN that they believe Caine’s attempts to get on the same page with other officials are his “way of protecting the military.”
Renewed airstrikes may not be enough to force deal with Iran
The US has refrained from deploying ground troops in Iran, with Trump signaling that airstrikes alone would be enough to force Tehran into an agreement on Washington’s terms.
For Caine and other officials, according to CNN sources, dwindling US stockpiles of key munitions are a key concern because the shortage could impact the military’s ability to combat Iranian retaliation if renewed airstrikes led to escalation in the conflict.
Trump has repeatedly denied reports regarding the alleged shortage of US munitions.
According to CNN, multiple sources familiar with recent discussions stated that Caine and other officials privately view Trump's claims as unlikely and are seeking other options that may still achieve Trump’s goals.
During a public hearing on the war last month, Caine told lawmakers that “airpower has its limits,” bolstering suspicion that top security officials believe that the conflict has reached a crossroads.
In late July, when Trump raised the possibility of launching renewed, increasingly aggressive strikes, Caine and other officials were reportedly wary of the potential fallout from such an operation.
One source told CNN that elements within US Central Command (CENTCOM) were the only ones in favor of the proposed strikes.
Caine remains careful in broaching concerns with Trump
However, while Caine has privately shared his worries with other officials, he has reportedly remained careful in how he conveys his misgivings to Trump, the sources claimed.
Two sources told CNN that Caine was “doing his job” by delicately raising concerns and offering alternatives during a recent meeting with Trump and other White House officials.
In that discussion, Caine reportedly balanced his critiques of Trump’s strategy with making it clear that if further military operations were to proceed, stating that “we could absolutely wreck them,” one of the sources said.