CNN, citing three informed sources, has reported that General Dan Caine, the US Army Chief of Staff, is seeking a “way out” of the war with Iran.
CNN reported on Saturday, August 8, that Caine believes airstrikes alone cannot achieve the military objectives of US President Donald Trump in the war with Iran.
According to the report, Caine has shared his concerns with John Ratcliffe, the Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.
CNN sources said the US Army Chief of Staff has discussed “finding a way out of the war” in multiple conversations with military advisers and senior officials.
According to the sources, Caine has not opposed continuing the war. Rather, his primary concern is whether the US administration’s military objectives can be achieved solely through airstrikes.
The US Army Chief of Staff said late last month that “air power has its limitations.” However, he later said at a meeting at the White House that, if ordered by the president, the US military “can certainly crush them, meaning Iran, severely.”
One source told CNN that, in his view, Caine is seeking a way to end the war in order to “protect the military.”
Joseph Holstead, a spokesperson for the US Army Chief of Staff, declined to comment on the report. He said the military does not comment on the chief of staff’s private conversations with the president, secretary of state, or other senior officials.
Holstead also rejected anonymous and one-sided characterizations of the conversations, which he said had been made by sources who were not familiar with the substance of the discussions. He added that he would not comment on such claims either.
The report comes as approximately 160 days have passed since the start of the war between the United States and Iran. During that period, the two countries have gone through at least three rounds of conflict and negotiations. An agreement to end the war, which had been signed by the presidents of the two countries, has also been violated.
Following the cessation of reciprocal attacks, several US media outlets, including Reuters, have reported in recent days that stocks of some critical weapons at US bases in the Middle East have declined sharply. According to these reports, US stocks of Patriot air-defense missiles have also fallen significantly.
CNN has also reported that US stocks of “some critical munitions” have reached very low levels, and that Caine raised the issue with Donald Trump in at least two meetings.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
