
General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned senior Trump administration officials that Washington must find a "way out" of war with Iran, as military options for further escalating the conflict could backfire.
According to CNN, Caine has made it clear to the administration that the US military has the capacity to inflict significant damage on Iran if ordered, but at the same time has emphasized the limitations of military power and the risks that a prolonged conflict would bring.
Another concern raised by the general is related to the depletion of US ammunition reserves. According to him, a further escalation could weigh on US military capabilities and create problems if the conflict is prolonged.
In this situation, American officials have increasingly begun to discuss the possibility of an "off-ramp," that is, a way to reduce tensions and end escalation, allowing the Trump administration to present such an agreement as a positive outcome.
Caine is believed to have conveyed a dual message to the administration: the US military is capable of hitting Iran hard if ordered to do so, but that does not mean that further use of force is necessarily the best strategic choice.