The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Trump against an attack on Iran

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Army, General Dan Cain, emphasized to President Trump and other senior officials in the administration that a military campaign against Iran would carry with it significant risks, and especially the possibility of getting involved in a prolonged conflict and that the chances of success are uncertain – according to two sources privy to these internal discussions.

• At the top of the Trump administration, there is an ongoing debate about how to handle the conflict with Iran and what the consequences of each of the options will be. Currently, some of the voices in Trump’s inner circle advise him to proceed with caution, although some sources believe that Trump himself is inclined to order an attack.
• Above all is the question of what success in a military operation would look like, and how dangerous it would be to try to achieve it.
• On the other hand, reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran will likely require a return to some of the red lines that President Trump set in the past.

• As Trump considers whether and how to attack, his emissaries Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are imploring him to wait and give diplomacy a chance.
• The report on the positions of Trump’s senior staff is based on conversations with five sources who sat in on the relevant meetings or were briefed on them.
• Kaine’s position may be particularly influential, as he is Trump’s top military adviser and is highly regarded by the president.

• Similar to the planning of the operation in Venezuela, Trump authorized a limited team of advisers to think about the issues related to Iran and to present him with a variety of options that he could exercise at the time of his choosing – ones that maximize the levers of pressure and minimize the risk, said a senior American.
• While Kaine fully supported the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he is being more cautious in discussions about Iran, two sources said.

• Referring to that difference, one source described Kaine as a “reticent warrior” when it came to Iran. According to them, he sees the risks of a broad operation in Iran as higher, with a greater danger of entanglement and American losses.
• Although Kaine is not pushing for an attack, a source briefed on the details said the Joint Chiefs of Staff would support and carry out any decision Trump makes.
• Another source informed of his position said that Kane is not skeptical about a military campaign against Iran, but “sober and realistic” about the chances of success and what might happen after the start of the war.

• “In his role as the military advisor to the President, the Minister of Defense and the National Security Council, the chairman presents to the political level that makes the decisions a variety of military options, as well as related considerations and consequences and risks. The chairman presents these options confidentially,” said Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Joe Holstead.
• The White House declined to comment.

• Kaine is the only military commander who has briefed Trump in recent weeks on Iran.
• The commander of the Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, was not invited to the meetings called by Trump on Iran and has not spoken with the president since the beginning of the crisis in early January.
• Cooper’s predecessor, General Eric Kurilla, briefed both Trump and former President Biden on Iran.
• A senior US administration official confirmed that Trump had not spoken with Admiral Cooper.

• Vice President Vance has also raised concerns about becoming embroiled in internal discussions in recent days.
• A source privy to the details confirmed that Vance raised questions about the risks and complexity of the operation with military and national security officials, but denied that he was completely opposed to an attack on Iran.

• Vance hopes the talks in Geneva on Thursday will yield a diplomatic breakthrough, but is not optimistic about the prospect of an agreement – a position shared by other senior officials.
• Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is “sitting on the fence” and is not pushing decisively for or against an attack, according to two sources. Rubio has traditionally been considered hawkish on Iran, but in recent weeks has focused more on Venezuela and Cuba.

• Trump advisers Witkoff and Kushner plan to meet Thursday in Geneva with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
• Both advised Trump that time is working in his favor and that his levers of pressure on Iran will become stronger as the days pass.
• Their message is that Trump should see what he can get from the Iranians – and pull the trigger if and when he decides diplomacy is dead.
• A source familiar with the matter said that Trump has been leaning toward an attack for several days, but agreed to give Levitkoff and Kushner a little more time for negotiations.

• Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is one of the main supporters of military action in Trump’s extended circle. In an interview with N12 on Saturday, he complained that some of Trump’s advisers were advising him not to bomb Iran.
• Graham urged the president to ignore them and move forward with an attack, including in a phone call they had on Sunday.
• Graham and other strike supporters – most of them from outside the administration – fear that as time goes by the momentum will be lost and Trump will be forced to settle for a bad deal.

• Another person pushing for an attack is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since his meeting with Trump ten days ago, he is more concerned that the US will withdraw.
• An American source who met with Netanyahu last week said that the prime minister left the meeting with Trump feeling that he was unable to win him over to his position.
• “Is he still with us?” asked Netanyahu, according to the same source.

• “Everyone has a role and they are doing their role. Rubio does not decide which planes to operate. Kaine is not concerned with the diplomatic consequences. The decision to attack – when, how or if at all – has not yet been made,” said a senior member of the Trump administration.

After the publication, Trump claimed on Truth Social: “Many stories in the ‘fake news’ media are circulating claiming that General Daniel Cain, who is sometimes called Razin, opposes us going to war with Iran. The article does not attribute this wealth of knowledge to anyone, and it is 100% wrong. General Cain, like the rest of us, would prefer not to see war, but if a decision is made to act against Iran on a military level, it is his opinion that it will be something which can be easily beaten.”

According to Trump, “Kane knows Iran very well because he was responsible for ‘Midnight Hammer,’ the attack on Iran’s nuclear development. It is no longer a development, but blown to pieces by our great B-2 bombers. Kane is a great fighter and represents the most powerful military anywhere in the world. He did not talk about not acting against Iran, not even about the fake limited strikes I read about – he only knows one thing, how to win, and if told to do That is, he will lead the forces.”

“Everything that was written about a potential war with Iran was written incorrectly and on purpose. I am the one who makes the decision. I would prefer an agreement than no agreement, but if we don’t reach an agreement – it will be a very bad day for that country, and unfortunately for its people as well, because they are great and wonderful people, and something like this should never have happened to them,” added the US president.