General Dan Caine Urges Trump to Find Iran War Off-Ramp

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is privately urging President Donald Trump to establish an off-ramp from the six-month-old war with Iran. Caine and other senior national security officials argue that airpower alone cannot achieve the administration's objectives and warn that further escalation could backfire.

This internal pressure follows a late July decision by Trump to cancel a planned massive operation after Middle East allies warned that Iran might retaliate against energy infrastructure. The military faces additional constraints due to munitions stockpiles that are described as dangerously low, leading the United States Central Command to seek unconventional methods to pressure Tehran.

While Caine has assured the president that the military can inflict massive damage if ordered, he maintains that air strikes have limits. The administration is currently seeking a symbolic victory, such as an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, to enable a diplomatic breakthrough that avoids the deployment of ground troops.