US President Donald Trump on Monday denied reports that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned of the potential dangers of a large-scale military operation against Iran, and stressed that Washington is capable of defeating Tehran “easily” if a conflict breaks out between them.
Trump wrote on his platform, “Truth Social,” that General Dan Keane “like all of us, does not want war, but if a decision is made to move militarily against Iran, he believes that it can be easily won.”
He also stated that he was the final decision maker regarding Iran, and warned that Tehran would face a “very bad day” if it did not reach an agreement.
The American President explained that he preferred reaching an agreement with Iran, considering that the alternative was “very bad,” as he put it.
This denial follows reports from two informed sources that the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned Trump and senior officials that any military campaign against Iran could carry significant risks, including the possibility of sliding into a protracted conflict and incurring US casualties, which the President has categorically denied.
In a related context, an American official stated that Trump formed a small team of advisors to study the available options for dealing with Tehran, similar to the mechanism he used previously when discussing an operation against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with the aim of preparing alternatives that give him the ability to maneuver to achieve maximum influence and reduce risks.
On the other hand, the commander of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, was not invited to meetings related to the Iranian file, and has not spoken to the president since the beginning of the crisis in early January, according to a senior US administration official.
While some estimates suggested that Trump was seriously considering the option of a military strike, one source stated that the president had agreed to give the diplomatic track another chance, while another source confirmed that he wanted to explore all available options before making a final decision.
It is noteworthy that the discussion is still ongoing at the highest levels of the Trump administration about how to deal with the confrontation with Tehran and what are the potential repercussions of each option.
In this regard, an American official confirmed that a new round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran will be held on Thursday, in an attempt to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, noting that the third round, like the previous rounds, will be held in Geneva.
