Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Image: Screengrab via Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute / YouTube)
A top general has stepped in to warn President Donald Trump against a potentially major military strike, according to reports from Axios and the Washington Post, as the White House remains embroiled in an "ongoing debate" about how to handle Iran.
Trump is currently engaged in a high-stakes standoff with Iran, threatening potential military action against the Middle Eastern nation if it does not comply with nuclear program demands from the U.S. A massive build-up of military hardware has been deployed near Iran in the event that Trump orders a strike.
On Monday, Axios cited two sources close to the situation in the White House who said that Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and highest-ranking military officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, has warned the president and some of his officials against conducting a strike against Iran. Caine has reportedly cautioned that action against Iran could spiral into a broader "prolonged conflict." Despite the outlet noting Caine's influence with the president, sources indicate that he may still be in favor of a strike.
"There's an ongoing debate at the top levels of the Trump administration about how to handle the Iran standoff and what the consequences of each option would be," Axios explained. "At the moment, several of the voices in Trump's circle are urging caution, though some sources think Trump himself is leaning towards a strike."
The outlet added: "Caine's position could be particularly influential, because he's Trump's top military adviser and is highly respected by the president."
While members of the administration are reportedly split on the matter, Axios' sources claimed that none are currently pushing for a military invasion of Iran or any sort of "boots on the ground" action.
Caine is reportedly concerned about the complexities that a conflict with Iran would pose, particularly because of the country's depleted stockpile of munitions, according to the Post.
"Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed his concerns at a White House meeting last week with Trump and his top aides," the Post reported. "Cautioning that any major operation against Iran will face challenges because the U.S. munitions stockpile has been significantly depleted by Washington’s ongoing defense of Israel and support for Ukraine."
Caine also reportedly noted during a recent meeting at the Pentagon that he has concerns about the possibility of American casualties in a hypothetical operation against Iran.
Caine previously helped oversee the Trump administration's earlier strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities and the operation to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro last month. In the latter case, Axios reported that Caine was "all-in" on the operation in Caracas, in contrast to the caution he is currently urging with Iran.
