Pentagon warns Trump that war plans against Iran carry dangerous risks

The Pentagon has issued stark warnings to President Trump regarding the significant risks of an extended military campaign against Iran. Military leaders, led by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, have advised that the plans carry serious dangers including high U.S. and allied casualties, rapid depletion of air defense systems, and an overtaxed military force stretched to its limits.

Caine has raised these concerns directly within the Defense Department and in National Security Council meetings, with other senior officials echoing the same worries. A prolonged operation would quickly exhaust limited munitions stockpiles, with the U.S. able to sustain defenses against full-scale Iranian missile attacks for only about two weeks before critical interceptors run low. This depletion would leave bases and regional allies exposed while also hindering preparations for any future conflict with China.

The human and logistical toll is already visible. The USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s most advanced carrier, is heading toward a record 11-month deployment. Its crew is severely overworked, the ship has ongoing sewage problems, and some sailors are considering leaving the Navy after returning home.

In anticipation of Iranian retaliation, the State Department has evacuated non-essential personnel and families from the embassy in Lebanon. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has threatened to sink U.S. warships if attacked. The United States has assembled its largest air power presence in the Middle East since 2003, including a second carrier strike group now in the Mediterranean, yet Trump has not yet made a final decision on striking Iran as diplomatic talks continue.

These warnings reveal serious Pentagon doubts about the feasibility and cost of a sustained war against Iran.