Trump’s top general is ‘looking for an off-ramp’ from Iran war as US military options remain limited, sources say

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/07/politics/general-dan-caine-off-ramp-iran-war

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 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.

69 points · 11 comments · view on lemmy.world

11 Comments

rauls5@lemmy.zip · 34 pts · 29d (2 replies)

Off ramps don’t work for self dug pits.

prex@aussie.zone · 18 pts · 29d

nkat2112@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 29d

That was pure gold.

CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 29d

It's been pretty obvious almost from the outset that the US royally screwed the pooch on this one.

And I think Iran knows it. I'm pretty sure they want to watch Donvict squirm as he claims they are "begging him for a deal", etc...

Lon3star@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 29d (1 reply)

Have they considered military coup as a viable option?

NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io · 4 pts · 29d

Unfortunately America's military system is designed specifically so that doesn't happen. The Joint Staff doesn't actually command any troops, so they can't launch a coup (at least not without the cooperation of people who do).

TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 29d (2 replies)

Will bet money that conservatives will start slow walking the idea of mass "strategic" bombing with traditional dumb munitions soon.

MrVilliam@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 29d (1 reply)

I'm honestly pretty concerned that larger munitions will be used, if you know what I mean. And then who knows what happens worldwide next.

First_Thunder@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 29d

I’d say the chaos that would happen would be indescribable

newton@feddit.online · 3 pts · 28d

Got one , release the Epstein files

mr_account@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 29d

The offramp in question is the broken bridge in Speed