The US president has called a report that General Dan Cain warned of the risk of war with Iran “100 percent false.”
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US President Donald Trump has slammed media reports in which Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kaine warned of the potential risks of an attack on Iran, including the possibility of casualties for US troops in a protracted conflict.
President Trump responded to the report in a social media post on Monday, saying that Kaine believes a war with Iran, which the president has threatened to attack militarily if it doesn’t meet a series of demands, could be “easily won.”
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The Washington Post reported on the same day that Kaine told Trump during a meeting last week that a lack of critical military supplies and support from regional allies could hamper U.S. efforts to deter Iranian retaliation in the event of a U.S. attack.
The report said U.S. ammunition stockpiles, including those used in missile defense systems, are strained due to use in support of allies such as Israel and Ukraine.
“Mr. Kaine also expressed concern about the scale, inherent complexity, and potential for U.S. military casualties of the Iranian operation,” the newspaper reported, citing a person familiar with “internal discussions” on the matter.
Kaine’s office said in response to the Washington Post article that he is tasked with providing “civilian leaders making U.S. national security decisions with a wide range of military options, as well as secondary considerations and associated impacts and risks.”
Online news outlet Axios, which also reported on Kaine’s concerns in talks with Trump, said in a Monday night article that Kaine was the only military official to brief Trump on Iran over several weeks.
The newspaper reported that Gen. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, has not been invited to meet with President Trump since January and has not met with him since January.
‘Reluctant Warrior’ against Iran
Axios reported, citing two sources, that while Mr. Kaine was “fully committed to the Venezuelan operation” to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro in January, he “became more cautious in discussions about Iran.”
“Citing that contrast, one source described Kaine as a ‘passive warrior’ when it comes to Iran. Kaine believes the risks of a large-scale operation in Iran are high, with greater risk of entanglement and casualties for U.S. troops,” Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with senior administration meetings.
President Trump hit back at what he called the “fake news media” on his social media platforms, reporting that “General Daniel Kaine… opposes us going to war with Iran.”
“He’s not talking about not doing Iran or even the fake limited strikes that I’ve been reading about. All he knows is how to win, and if told to do so, he would lead,” Trump said.
“Everything that has been written about the possibility of war with Iran is written incorrectly and written that way on purpose,” the president said.
President Trump has been considering an attack on Iran for weeks and is concentrating large U.S. forces in the Middle East in preparation for a possible war that could spread chaos and conflict across the region.
Iran poses little significant threat to the United States, and an unprovoked attack would likely violate international law.
Iran has expressed hope that the negotiations will bear fruit, but has rejected a series of extremist demands from the United States on issues such as nuclear enrichment, ballistic missiles and support for regional proxies.
Analysts note that many of the US government’s demands on Iran are consistent with Israel’s priorities.
