According to CNN sources, the general warns that further military escalation could backfire on the United States itself, and that the president’s goals are unlikely to be achieved by bombing alone.
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In recent weeks, General D. Caine has privately indicated to other senior Trump administration officials that he believes the United States needs to find a way out of the prolonged war with Iran, CNN reports, citing three sources familiar with the discussions.
The general discussed his concerns with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. According to CNN, some of these officials coordinated their positions before meetings with the president to clearly show Trump not only the advantages of possible military actions but also their limits and potential consequences.
One of the main problems is that the United States has fewer and fewer military options left that could significantly change the course of the war without involving American ground forces.
In July, Caine himself acknowledged in Congress: “Air power has its limits.”
Concerns about new escalation
According to CNN sources, Caine and some other administration officials were cautious about a plan considered at the end of July to launch a new, much more intense attack against Iran.
Trump was initially inclined to approve the operation, which he described as “massive.” However, there were fears that the strikes could provoke another Iranian response and draw the US into a new cycle of escalation.
One CNN source said that the escalation of the operation was essentially supported at the time by some representatives of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Israel also supported increased military pressure on Iran.
During White House discussions, Caine also pointed out another problem – the significantly reduced stocks of some US missiles and air defense system ammunition due to the war.
This is especially important because the same missiles and interceptors would be needed by the United States in the event of another major conflict. Their production rate is much lower than the rate at which weapons can be consumed in an intense war.
Nevertheless, the general’s position does not mean that he believes the US military is incapable of launching new strikes.
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According to a CNN source, at the same meeting Caine clearly told Trump that if the president decided to continue the operation, US forces could inflict very significant damage on Iran.
In other words, the general’s argument is not that the US cannot strike Iran, but that even greater strikes would not necessarily help achieve the political war objective.
Ground war – politically very complicated
One theoretically possible step of escalation would be the use of US ground forces in Iran. Trump has not categorically ruled out this possibility before, especially when talking about the strategically important Kharg Island or Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium.
However, a large-scale ground operation would mean a completely different level of war, a much higher risk of US troop casualties, and would contradict one of Trump’s most important political promises – not to involve America in another long war in the Middle East.
Therefore, the administration finds itself in a difficult position: according to intelligence assessments, it is difficult to force Iran to accept Washington’s terms by air strikes alone, but a much stronger escalation would require taking on much greater military and political risks.
White House: the general is simply doing his job
CNN sources describe Caine’s actions not as a conflict with the president, but as fulfilling his duties as the president’s top military advisor.
One source said that the general is trying to protect the military by presenting the president not only with possible operations but also their costs and risks before a decision is made.
Caine’s representative Joseph Holstead refused to discuss the general’s confidential talks with the president and other senior officials with CNN and criticized the interpretations of such discussions presented by anonymous sources.
The White House, in turn, stated that Caine is an important member of Trump’s national security team and always provides the president with “accurate, unbiased information and various options.”
The financial cost of the war is also rapidly increasing. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress last month that operations in Iran have already cost about $37.5 billion, and the Pentagon has requested about another $67 billion for operations in the Middle East.
