CNN: U.S. Top General Seeks A Way Out Of The War In Iran

But in a way that won't upset Trump.

The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane, is privately urging the Donald Trump administration to find a way to end the war with Iran. According to three sources familiar with the situation, the American general believes that further military escalation could backfire, and airstrikes alone are unlikely to be enough to achieve the president’s stated goals, writes CNN.

“Kane is looking for a way out,” one of the sources stated bluntly.

According to those interviewed, the general discussed his concerns about further escalation and the need to find a way out of the war with other high-ranking administration officials—CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President J.D. Vance.

One of CNN’s sources explained Kane’s behavior as stemming from his desire to protect U.S. military personnel.

“I think this is just his way of protecting the military,” he said.

Air power has its limits

Trump has repeatedly stated that he does not want to send American ground troops to Iran. Instead, the president is counting on large-scale airstrikes to force Tehran to agree to his terms.

However, in private conversations, Kane and other high-ranking administration officials consider such a scenario unlikely. As early as late last month, during public hearings, Kane stated that “air power has its limits.”

It is precisely because of these limitations that U.S. officials have taken a cautious approach to the plan for a new large-scale operation against Iran, which was under consideration in late July.

According to one source, Trump was initially prepared to approve what he called a “massive” operation, but subsequently abandoned the idea after consultations with allies in the Middle East. They warned the president of possible retaliatory strikes by Iran, particularly against the energy infrastructure of Gulf countries.

At the same time, Trump did not rule out the possibility of revisiting the strike plan in the future.

The U.S. is facing an ammunition shortage

One of the main problems for the U.S. military leadership is the depletion of stocks of precision-guided munitions and air defense systems.

According to sources, Kane raised the issue of the state of U.S. arsenals with Trump at least twice during discussions of possible escalation scenarios.

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Representatives from Gulf states have also warned the U.S. administration that a shortage of modern American air defense systems could make it difficult to defend their territories in the event of a retaliatory response from Iran.

Of particular concern is the possibility of strikes against the region’s energy infrastructure. According to sources, such attacks would be unlikely to force Iran to capitulate, but would almost certainly provoke retaliatory strikes against U.S. allies.

The general is trying to avoid conflict with Trump

Despite his reservations, Kane is cautiously conveying his position to the president, striving to maintain a working relationship with Trump.

According to sources, during his meetings with the president, the general does not rule out the possibility of inflicting significant damage on Iran if Trump decides to proceed with the operation.

“We can simply take them out”—that is exactly how, according to one of the sources, Kane explained the capabilities of the U.S. military to the president.

At the same time, in private, the general speaks much more bluntly about the limitations of airstrikes and the risks of further escalation. Some sources believe that Kane is not being firm enough in expressing his position to the president.

“He’s clearly holding back on the strikes,” said one source familiar with the general’s communications with Trump.

A spokesperson for Kane neither confirmed nor denied the content of the private conversations.

“We do not discuss confidential conversations between the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the President, the Secretary of State, or other high-ranking officials, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven assessments of these conversations by sources who were not involved in them,” said General Joseph Golsted’s press secretary.

Meanwhile, the White House praised Kane’s work.

“General Kane is an incredible asset to President Trump’s national security team,” said an administration spokesperson.

The Pentagon is exploring new options for applying pressure

The war with Iran is approaching the six-month mark, but U.S. military leadership still lacks a straightforward military means to achieve its stated objectives without significant escalation.

According to sources, the Pentagon and U.S. Central Command are already revising their strategy and looking for new ways to put pressure on Tehran.

One high-ranking CENTCOM military official even suggested that U.S. military personnel submit new, creative ideas on how to put pressure on Iran.

“It’s difficult to consider these options in the midst of a war, rather than before it begins,” said one of the sources.

At the same time, some U.S. officials believe that a decisive victory over Iran could only be achieved through a large-scale ground operation. However, such a scenario would potentially result in thousands of American military casualties, which is why the Trump administration does not currently support it.

Therefore, Kane and other presidential advisers are trying to find an option that would allow Trump to claim at least a symbolic victory without provoking a new round of war and while leaving the door open for a diplomatic settlement.

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