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mahatmakanejeeves

(69,001 posts)
Mon Feb 23, 2026, 03:54 PM Yesterday

Trump's top general foresees acute risks in an attack on Iran

Source: Washington Post

Trump’s top general foresees acute risks in an attack on Iran

The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has said that a lack of munitions and allied support could mean greater danger for U.S. troops, people familiar with the talks say.

By John Hudson and Tara Copp 1 hour ago
February 23, 2026 at 2:44 p.m. EST


Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, attends a meeting at the White House in December. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

By John Hudson and Tara Copp

As the Trump administration weighs an attack on Iran, the Pentagon’s top general has cautioned President Donald Trump and other officials that shortfalls in critical munitions and a lack of support from allies will add significant risk to the operation and to U.S. personnel, according to people familiar with internal discussions.

{snip}

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/02/23/dan-caine-iran-risk-trump/

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Trump's top general foresees acute risks in an attack on Iran (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Yesterday OP
So, is he confirming there's definitely an "operation" that would optimally employ large amounts of munitions AZJonnie Yesterday #1
Good point. Trump probably thinks they can do a Gaza-like bombing campaign thought crime 4 hrs ago #11
Gee...ya think? Zorro Yesterday #2
Don't worry amcgrath 23 hrs ago #3
I read the full article. Let me summarize. Trump has essentially disarmed the American military by flashman13 22 hrs ago #4
Wow, what a duck up we have in the WH RainCaster 22 hrs ago #5
Well he Rebl2 22 hrs ago #6
So Send ICE usonian 16 hrs ago #7
Just this once, I'd endorse the "human wave" strategy. nt eppur_se_muova 5 hrs ago #9
Trump doesn't care if the U.S. runs out of conventional munitions because... LudwigPastorius 14 hrs ago #8
You misspelled "unclear" usonian 5 hrs ago #10
Trump's policy has been to alienate all former allies, so the "lack of support" is unsurprising muriel_volestrangler 1 hr ago #12

AZJonnie

(3,409 posts)
1. So, is he confirming there's definitely an "operation" that would optimally employ large amounts of munitions
Mon Feb 23, 2026, 04:06 PM
Yesterday

as well as allied forces?

Offhand, that seems like a notable admonition in itself, that the USA intends to deploy large amounts of munitions against Iran.

Has the regime properly informed Congress of their intent to engage in such an operation, what that would entail, what the goals and exit strategy are, where the FUNDS are coming from, etc?

thought crime

(1,422 posts)
11. Good point. Trump probably thinks they can do a Gaza-like bombing campaign
Tue Feb 24, 2026, 11:57 AM
4 hrs ago

Gradually reducing Iran's cities to rubble with no boots on the ground. That's called Terror Bombing and besides being a War Crime in every sense, we don't have anything near the supply of ammunition for such a sustained bombing campaign that would have to go on far longer and with more intensity than Gaza.

The top General's job is to stop this before it gets started.

No doubt China's defense experts are paying very close attention.

flashman13

(2,252 posts)
4. I read the full article. Let me summarize. Trump has essentially disarmed the American military by
Mon Feb 23, 2026, 05:14 PM
22 hrs ago

running around the world blowing up trivial shit. In any sort of real conflict (which Iran has the potential to become) we don't have sufficient ammunition for effective offense or defense. On top of that the USS Gerald R. Ford, ship and crew, is tired and in need of serious rest. If fighting begins the ship will be less than 100% effective.

This is the situation you have when incompetent people, lead by an ego maniac, are put in charge of serious issues and situations. Of course Trump knows better that all of the actual experts. What could possibly go wrong?

RainCaster

(13,561 posts)
5. Wow, what a duck up we have in the WH
Mon Feb 23, 2026, 05:19 PM
22 hrs ago

TSF needs to go. Putin has used him to hamstring our military around the world.

LudwigPastorius

(14,468 posts)
8. Trump doesn't care if the U.S. runs out of conventional munitions because...
Tue Feb 24, 2026, 01:27 AM
14 hrs ago

we've got "the nuclear".

usonian

(24,411 posts)
10. You misspelled "unclear"
Tue Feb 24, 2026, 11:02 AM
5 hrs ago

Just saying.

But there is no defense against the Q-bomb.



Expect Denmark or other small country to invade the US and topple the drunken incompetent government.

muriel_volestrangler

(105,936 posts)
12. Trump's policy has been to alienate all former allies, so the "lack of support" is unsurprising
Tue Feb 24, 2026, 02:32 PM
1 hr ago

NATO members are pissed off that Trump contemplated attacking Greenland; he's told European former allies that they should be the ones helping Ukraine, not the USA, because Ukraine is in the European sphere (but, strangely, Iran is even further away from the USA than Ukraine); he keeps antagonising Canada. If I were South Korea, Japan or Australia, I'd concentrate on keeping Taiwan independent from China. Why would any country formerly allied with the USA think about joining a strike with an undefined purpose?

I guess he thought the Gulf countries would do his bidding. But they're the ones that will suffer from retaliatory attacks by Iran, if they're involved in any way. They need a positive, selfish reason to offset that. You can't entice them with hand-waving about "democracy in Iran".

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