On Monday, February 23, President Trump denied anonymous reports from American media about attacking Iran. The reports claimed that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, had suggested to the President and other senior officials that taking military action against Iran could pose significant risks.
President Trump took to the social media platform Truth Social to post, stating: “Fake news media has been spreading rumors that General Caine opposes us going to war with Iran. These rumors completely disregard General Caine’s expertise and are one hundred percent incorrect.”
“General Caine, like all of us, does not want to see war. But if a decision is made to take action against Iran on a military level, he believes it will be an easy victory,” Trump continued.
Axios website was the first to report on the day, stating that compared to the U.S. military’s raid in Venezuela in early January to capture the country’s leader Maduro, General Caine appeared more cautious during discussions about military plans against Iran. The report mentioned that Caine believed potential large-scale military action against Iran would increase the risk of casualties among the U.S. military.
The Wall Street Journal reported that similar warnings were expressed by General Caine during meetings at the Pentagon and the National Security Council, with other Pentagon officials voicing similar concerns.
The Washington Post also reported that Caine warned that any large-scale military action against Iran could face obstacles due to low ammunition stocks, as U.S. support for Ukraine and continued defense aid to Israel further deplete ammunition reserves.
All reports cited anonymous sources and did not mention Caine’s opposition to the U.S. going to war with Iran.
The Hill quoted anonymous sources recently saying that Caine had presented a series of strike options that the U.S. military could carry out against Iran to President Trump and other senior national security officials.
President Trump stated on Monday that Caine “has a deep understanding of Iran” and referred to him as the planner of the operation to bomb three major Iranian nuclear facilities (codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer”) in June 2025.
“He has never said don’t strike Iran, or even prioritize strikes – as those false reports I read claimed,” the President said, “He only knows one thing, and that is how to win. If ordered to do so, he will lead the charge.”
Last Friday, on the 20th, Trump stated that he is considering limited strikes against Iran if negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program fail.
The U.S. and Iran are still in negotiations, aiming to reach an agreement that prevents Iran from possessing a nuclear program, a point that Iranian officials have denied. U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to hold new nuclear talks with Iranian officials in Geneva, Switzerland.
“All reports about a possible war with Iran are false and deliberate,” President Trump added on Monday.
The President wrote, “I am the one who makes the final decisions, and I would prefer to make a deal rather than go to war. But if we cannot reach an agreement, it will be a very bad day for Iran and even worse for the Iranian people, as they are great and kind, and such a thing should not happen to them.”