Trump is growing frustrated with the limitations of Iran’s military options, sources say
Washington – President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with limitations of Iran’s military options, which aides describe as restrictions on military escalation against Iran, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues.
Unlike previous targeted operations, including the latest one to remove the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in power, mr. Trump has been told that any strike on Tehran’s assets would likely not be a single, decisive blow. Instead, limited strikes it could open the door to a wider conflict – one that could put the United States at risk for a protracted conflict in the Middle East.
Axios first reported details of the president’s frustration.
President Trump, on social media, denied any reports that Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “is against us going to war with Iran.” Caine, he said, “would prefer not to see a war but, if a decision is made to confront Iran on a military level, it is his opinion that it will be an easy win.”
Mr. Trump said Caine “didn’t talk about not doing Iran, or even the limited fake strikes I’ve been reading about, he only knows one thing, how NOT to WIN and, if he’s told to do so, he’ll be leading the pack.”
A senior military official told CBS News that military planners provide unbiased advice. The White House referred CBS News to the president’s social media post.
At the heart of the president’s impatience is a desire for strong action that could reset the diplomatic table. He pressed advisers on options that could bring about a punitive strike — one large enough, in his view, to force Iranian leaders to return to negotiations on terms favorable to Washington. But military planners have warned that such an outcome cannot be guaranteed.
Free Press: Donald Trump’s Iran Trap
In private meetings, Caine advised Mr. Trump said that the ongoing military campaign against Iran could have significant consequences, such as retaliation by Tehran and its proxies against the US military and allies, and it could lead to a drawn-out engagement that requires more American troops and resources.
Over the weekend, special envoy Steve Witkoff told Lara Trump in an interview on Fox News that Mr.
“Why, under this kind of pressure, with the amount of sea power, sea power that we have out there, why didn’t they come to us and say, ‘We agree that we don’t want to be – we don’t want a weapon. So, here’s what we’re prepared to do.’ But, it’s hard to get them to that place,” Witkoff said.
In recent weeks, the US has significantly increased its military presence throughout the region. I USS Gerald R. Ford strike group and its warships are expected to position themselves in the wider Iranian zone, join USS Abraham Lincoln strike group and other aircraft groups stationed at bases throughout the Persian Gulf. The Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems have been strengthened to protect US forces and regional allies from possible retaliation.
Pentagon officials say the deployment is defensive and designed to prevent escalation, however the level and tempo of the build-up emphasize that any strike on Iran is likely to trigger a response whether through missile attacks, maritime aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, or proxy forces operating in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
The unfolding meetings inside the White House regarding Iran show a wide disconnect between political goals and military realities. While the president sought a show of force to strengthen his hand in negotiations, senior officials emphasized that wars rarely unfold according to script and that even carefully measured strikes can produce unexpected results.
Currently, the construction of US military hardware continues as emergency plans are prepared. Whether it ends in a limited strike or remains a deterrent may depend less on the president’s frustration than on Tehran’s next move and ultimately on how much risk Washington is willing to bear.
