Trump’s top general seeks way out of Iran war as US military options narrow

Tehran - BORNA - CNN reported on Friday, citing three people familiar with the discussions, that Caine raised his concerns with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance.

“Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one source told the outlet, as senior officials increasingly question whether President Donald Trump can force Tehran to accept his demands.

Caine and other senior officials were skeptical of a proposed escalation in late July because of fears that Iran could retaliate against US allies and regional energy infrastructure, the report said.

Trump ultimately postponed the operation after Persian Gulf partners warned that expanding the aggression could expose them to Iranian strikes, according to the report.

US officials are also increasingly concerned about depleted stocks of air-defense interceptors and precision munitions, potentially limiting Washington’s ability to sustain a prolonged war against Iran.

The report said officials are now searching for an outcome Trump could present as a political victory while leaving the door open to diplomacy, including a possible agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest US-Israeli aggression against Iran began on February 28, when the two allies launched large-scale strikes on Iranian territory, prompting Tehran to unleash daily waves of missiles and drones against US and Israeli assets across the region.

Iran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy route, in response to the attacks, sharply escalating pressure on the US and its regional partners.

Washington and Tehran later signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17 in an effort to end the war across all fronts.

However, renewed US military aggression in recent weeks has prompted Iran to resume missile and drone strikes against US assets across the region and close the Strait of Hormuz once again.

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