Top U.S. General Urges Search for Exit from Iran War
Dragon Media News Desk
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has privately urged senior advisers to President Donald Trump to explore a practical way out of the war with Iran, according to CNN.
Citing three sources familiar with the matter, CNN reported that Caine has argued in recent weeks that further military escalation could produce unintended consequences and that airpower alone is unlikely to achieve the objectives set out by President Trump.
According to the report, Caine has also discussed possible exit options and future strategy with senior officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
Trump has consistently appeared reluctant to deploy U.S. ground forces in Iran. He has maintained that sustained airstrikes could pressure Tehran into accepting an agreement on U.S. terms.
However, Caine and some other senior officials in the Trump administration reportedly consider such an outcome unlikely.
The report comes amid growing concern over the availability of certain categories of U.S. weapons and ammunition.
Trump said Thursday that overall U.S. ammunition stockpiles remained sufficient, while acknowledging that supplies of some specific types were becoming somewhat tighter.
The Pentagon has said that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and 687 injured in the war with Iran.
Public opposition to the conflict has also been rising.
A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that 68 percent of Americans believe the war with Iran is not worth fighting, while only 28 percent considered it justified.
A separate Reuters-Ipsos poll showed that only about one-third of Americans currently support the war, one of the lowest levels recorded since the conflict began five months ago.
The combination of limited military options, pressure on certain weapons stockpiles and growing domestic opposition has intensified debate within the Trump administration over how the United States should ultimately end the conflict with Iran.
