Airstrikes Alone May Not Meet Goals, Top US Military Officials Seek Iran Exit Strategy

Senior US military officials are seeking an exit strategy in the conflict with Iran after concluding that military options are nearing their limits, CNN reported on August 7, citing multiple sources.

Chairman Dan Caine believes the current air campaign alone is unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump’s stated objectives, the report said. He has also raised concerns that further escalation could backfire.

Caine has shared those concerns with key administration officials, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance, as they discussed an exit strategy.

Trump has maintained his opposition to sending ground troops into Iran. Instead, he has indicated that airstrikes alone could be enough to pressure Tehran back to the negotiating table. CNN reported that his advisers see that scenario as unlikely and have focused on finding alternatives that can be carried out within the limits set by the president.

Declining US ammunition stockpiles also appear to have influenced those discussions. According to the sources, top military officials now assess inventories as “dangerously depleted,” and Caine recently raised concerns about munitions supplies in a meeting with Trump.

Caine and officials in the Middle East have also recently told the US side that shortages of key air defense systems could hamper efforts to defend against Iranian attacks.

Shin Yong-hyun, Hankyung.com reporter yonghyun@hankyung.com