Zachary Cohen – CNN Aug 13, 2026
Over the last few weeks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine has privately made clear to other top Trump advisers that the US needs to find an off-ramp from the war with Iran — because the military options on the table to escalate the conflict could backfire and airpower alone is unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump’s stated objectives, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
“Caine is looking for an off ramp,” one of the sources said bluntly.
Caine is not alone in his view that the war has reached a crossroads. He has discussed concerns about the military options for escalating the conflict and raised the prospect of finding an off-ramp from the war with other key Cabinet officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, two of the sources said.
The top US general has recently side-barred with some of those key, like-minded Trump advisers in an effort to facilitate interagency coordination and ensure they are on the same page ahead of meetings with the president. The aim has been to make clear the limitations and pitfalls of the available military options, including those that do not involve putting US boots on the ground, the sources said.
“I think it is just his way of protecting the military,” one of the sources told CNN, referring to Caine’s discussions with other top national security officials within Trump’s cabinet about the Iran war.
Trump has consistently appeared averse to the idea of deploying ground troops in Iran, instead signaling he believes that air bombing can force them to agree to a deal on his terms. Caine and others in Trump’s cabinet privately view that outcome as unlikely and instead have sought to develop other options that fit within the president’s own parameters, according to multiple sources familiar with recent discussions.
Nearly six months into a conflict which opened with weeks of claims that Iran’s military capabilities had been decimated, and which remains defined by the president’s pledge of preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, it is highly significant that Trump’s most senior general is privately arguing there is no easy military solution to end a war the president chose to enter.
In response to CNN’s request for comment on this story, Caine’s spokesperson Joseph Holstead said: “We do not discuss the Chairman’s confidential conversations with the President, the Secretary, or other senior leaders, nor do we comment on anonymous, agenda-driven characterizations of those conversations by sources who were not privy to them.”
A White House official praised Caine’s contributions to Trump’s national security team, telling CNN: “General Caine is an incredible asset to President Trump’s national security team, and the overwhelming success of Operations Epic Fury, Midnight Hammer, and Absolute Resolve speaks for itself.”
“The General always provides accurate, unbiased information and a host of options to the Commander-in-Chief, who ultimately makes decisions based on what he feels is best for US national security,” the official added.
The State Department and CIA declined to comment.
‘Airpower has its limits’
The war has reached a point where many of Trump’s top national security officials, bolstered by military doctrine, assessments from the US intelligence community and common sense, believe what Caine himself told lawmakers during a public hearing late last month — “airpower has its limits.
For those reasons, Caine and other Trump officials were wary of the latest plan late in July to launch new, more aggressive strikes due to concerns about the likely fallout that could come from escalating the conflict, even as the president appeared ready to initially greenlight what he described as a “massive” operation, one of the sources said, declining to elaborate on the operational details.
“The only ones in favor of the operation were elements of CENTCOM,” the source added, noting Israel also broadly supported an operation to escalate the conflict.
Trump ultimately decided to back off after talking with Middle East allies, who told him they were afraid of Iranian retaliation, specifically retaliatory attacks on their energy infrastructure, a senior administration official told CNN, adding that the president is not taking the planned strikes off the table for a future date.
But dwindling US stockpiles of key munitions were also a factor, CNN has reported, as multiple sources said it was a concern that has been raised not only by Caine but also by Gulf officials, who have recently conveyed to administration officials how a shortage of high-end American air defense systems could impact their ability to ward off potential Iranian retaliation if Trump decides to escalate the conflict.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure, a move sources said is unlikely to force Iran to capitulate — as Caine himself has alluded to publicly — and almost certainly prompt retaliatory attacks targeting energy infrastructure of Gulf countries. Doing so would also likely further alienate the Iranian population, rather than fuel blame toward the regime, several sources said.
Trump has also considered bombing bridges, but doing so is similarly unlikely to yield productive results, per a second source. “There really isn’t much else to hit since it is whack-a-mole with drone and missile sites. Bombing powerplants would be publicly a lot more significant.”
Handling Trump carefully
But while Caine has raised concerns, he has also been mindful of preserving his relationship with Trump and been careful in how he conveys the potential downsides of military options when presenting them directly to the president, the sources said.
As said many times before and sounding in similar tones and simultaneously from more influential quarters , “The only off ramp is an Up^ ramp”. By that I mean a ramp of “higher values” advocated by leading Israeli defectors, and also consistently over past months by Tucker Carlson, who has been articulating the view that the sovereignty rights of each nation must be respected, meaning that pursuant to our AGREED UPON international conventions one nation does not make war on another. It is clear that the war against Iran is not justified under any of our conventions and that it is an unjust war of aggression and principally for plunder. Then there are all of our universally AGREED UPON post-WWII basic human rights conventions which are being ignored and abused by Israel against the Palestinian people, the Israelis have been exterminating or exiling. As for Iran, whose crimes are no where to grievous against sovereignty and human rights violations, they have already accepted their acceptance of the original UN conventions in these matters.
The people of the ruling financial and corporate class of the USrael-led West scoff at any peace being made which checks their guiding principles that might-makes-right and that the-ends-justify-the-means. They feel they have a right destabilize, overthrow, and invade weaker nations with rich lands and resources, just as they feel they have an absolute right to lie to us on virtually every issue vital to our interests and the interests of people in their victim nations. These are the same people that when we suggest the adherence to our higher and agreed-upon values and principles they ridicule us as being naive saying amongst themselves and they continue to pump all manner of fake news into the public, just like during Covid, that what is right is determined by the powerful over the weak, and that the world has always been that way. They never debate or justify with any measure of truth or reason their crimes, thinking that with their powers they are somehow exempt, and that if they do not seize for themselves what is valuable from the weak, that someone else will. That is the fundamental rational without all of their lies for all of their unjust wars.
During and after the devastation, murdering, and pillaging of Iraq, the only justification these poor excuses for humanity mustered was that they allegedly “needed” the oil. It is the same for the Israelis and the Americans in the present conflicts. Both are land-grabbing, nation-destroying, resource-robbing, and people-exterminating nations, and their people for the most part endorse all of the CRIMES being committed without any real opposition.
He will continue to be led by the nose at the behest of his master Benny Nuttyahoo.
The General needs a tongue lashing from Bessent if this report us true.. Sixth gen warfare includes finance and reshaping oil flows. IRGC are losing their patronage money and cannot pay their operatives. Saudi and others are building pipelines away from Hormuz. The general is not that dumb so I rate this report as unlikely. Behind the scenes, new factions are forming. People won’t work for free.
Assuming this isn’t some massive psyop to justify fuel shortages, inhibit or even prevent altogether travel for ordinary people, a la UN Agenda 2030, a very, very big IF, then Iran is playing it very smart
However, given that the jew’s aim is the destruction of the USA and the white race by starvation, war and whatever other means at their disposal, and that all this plays directly into that agenda, its difficult to shake the feeling that this is all dark theatre
8 August https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDq25UeDo9A Mark Sleboda on the massive upheaval in the drumpf and israhell regimes as Iran imposes its will on the outcome of the war/ Mossad is imploding + UAE ships struck by Iranian fire as a new Middle East takes shape/ by Danny Haiphong
10.47: drumpf is just sounding increasingly frustrated & despondent…/ too many tacos last week
16.11: 6 August https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08/06/this-is-proof-iran-won-the-war/
A reported deal over the Strait of Hormuz suggests Tehran has emerged from the conflict even stronger
8 August https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2086139658698670335 Yemeni forces struck ‘sensitive target’ in drone attack at Najran airport in southern Saudi Arabia on Thursday near the Yemeni border acc. to a Tasnim News report
8 August https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDqXPZ1tV5k drumpf confronting the fatal reckoning he has lost the war to Iran/ he is a complete loser like he’s always been his entire life/ Ben Meidas Touch Meiselas
((( 21 April https://www.ibtimes.com/fact-check-truth-behind-viral-claim-that-general-dan-caine-blocked-trumps-nuclear-codes-3801579 never ever give the pathetic satanic warmongering psycho pedo drumpf the nuclear football code )))
Anyway Every Body Anywhere
h.a.n.d. have a nice day 😎
CIA O
Here in the USA feelings are hardening toward israel
the jews did 9 11
killed the kennedies and other crimes, and we wont forget that
a slogan here written on the w3all of the military bases
says ” do not die for israel”
this says it all
What happened in Thetford? Riots, arrests and the asylum seeker protest explained
Story by Ria Pathak •
public disorder erupted in Thetford, Norfolk, this week after protests over plans to house 1250 asylum seekers escalated into attacks on residential properties, leaving police officers injured and several people arrested.
The first remit of the police is to protect the public
but these bastards were protecting the migrants, the authorities admit they did not know anything about these migrants and criminals homosexuals socialists and other ner-do-wells will be among them
The unrest, which unfolded over 4–6 August, followed months of opposition to the government’s proposal to accommodate up to 1,250 asylum seekers at the nearby former RAF Barnham site, prompting authorities to increase policing powers and launch criminal investigations
Remember what the criminal authorities do to thetford, they will do to you
o celebrate Homosexual pride day, Richard Able of Chingford London was one week into his expedition to be the first man to sail around the UK wearing a pair of bondage trousers with the death tie.
The death tie is a shoelace tied tightly around the scrotum, with a potato stuck up his rectum
He will be playing tiddlywinks every day at mid day
This heroic enterprise is being sponsored by pervert singer Boy George
to celebrate the death of Ann Widdicombe
Richard Able is attempting to become the first person in the world to complete a solo, unassisted circumnavigation of the British isles wearing bondage trousers with the death grip, and a potato up his arse without stopping on the journey
A very commendable feat
A phone call to the socialist worker news paper
claimed Ann Widdicombes views were incompatible
with todays LBGT generation
and others with be targeted for their pedophobic views.
We are taking over
I just dont know what to make of this ?
brainwashing kids in schools to have bits chopped off and change sex
i found just very disturbing
Israel intensifies torture, slow killing of Palestinian inmates by banning family visits: Rights group
News / Palestine
Israel intensifies torture, slow killing of Palestinian inmates by banning family visits: Rights group
Sunday, 09 August 2026 5:57 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 09 August 2026 6:05 AM ]
Palestinian prisoners with their hands and legs restrained are seen in the yard at the Sde Teiman military prison in the Israeli-occupied territories. (Photo by AP)
A Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group says the extension of an order prohibiting family visits to Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons is intended to perpetuate torture and starvation of the detainees and further isolate them from the outside world.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said in a statement that the decision by Israel’s so-called security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir regarding the renewal of the visit ban was not unexpected; instead, it represents a continuation of a systematic policy designed to reinforce the total isolation of prisoners.
The association stated that the decision transforms prisons into isolated environments where torture, starvation, prolonged suffering, and concealment from the outside world occur without oversight and accountability, thereby facilitating the ongoing perpetration of severe violations against Palestinian detainees.