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The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, believes Washington needs to find a way to withdraw from the conflict with Iran, arguing that further escalation will only make things worse, according to CNN reporting that cites unnamed sources.
Coverage
CNN reported that Caine has privately made clear to other top advisers to US President Donald Trump that airstrikes alone will not be enough to achieve the goals the president has set, and that military options to escalate the conflict would backfire. The general has discussed prospects of finding an “off-ramp” from the war with other key US officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance, the sources said. Caine wants to ensure they are on the same page ahead of meetings with the president, according to the broadcaster.
The report said it is “highly significant that Trump’s most senior general is privately arguing there is no easy military solution to end a war the president chose to enter.”
A separate CNN report, also citing sources, said Vance voiced concern at a White House meeting about a possible escalation of the military conflict with Iran. At that meeting, which included Trump, Vance and Caine expressed concern about potential escalation, and Caine said that an expansion would further deplete US ammunition stocks.
A Pentagon source confirmed to the broadcaster that the operation has been suspended. The reason for the pause is unclear. CNN reported that Persian Gulf countries appealed to the US administration to demonstrate restraint, and that Trump privately instructed US negotiators to continue contacts with Tehran.
Earlier, Trump said he was considering resuming full-scale hostilities against Iran and carrying out a “massive attack” on the Islamic Republic. Later, The New York Times reported, citing sources, that he decided to postpone escalation of the conflict.