Trump growing frustrated with limits of Iran military options, sources say

2 hours ago 5

Washington — President Trump has grown progressively frustrated with what aides picture arsenic the limits of subject leverage against Iran, according to aggregate sources acquainted with the substance who spoke to CBS News nether information of anonymity to sermon nationalist information issues.

Unlike erstwhile targeted operations, including the caller 1 removing Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro from power, Mr. Trump has been told that immoderate onslaught connected Tehran's assets would astir surely not beryllium a singular, decisive blow. Instead, limited strikes could unfastened the doorway to a wider confrontation — 1 that risks drafting the United States into a protracted struggle successful the Middle East.

Axios archetypal reported details of the president's frustrations.

President Trump, successful a social media post refuted immoderate reports that Caine "is against america going to War with Iran." Caine, helium said, "would similar not to spot War but, if a determination is made connected going against Iran astatine a Military level, it is his sentiment that it volition beryllium thing easy won."

Mr. Trump said Caine "has not spoken of not doing Iran, oregon adjacent the fake constricted strikes that I person been speechmaking about, helium lone knows 1 thing, however to WIN and, if helium is told to bash so, helium volition beryllium starring the pack."

A elder subject authoritative told CBS News that subject planners are providing unbiased advice. The White House referred CBS News to the president's societal media post.

At the bosom of the president's impatience is simply a tendency for a forceful enactment that would reset the diplomatic table. He has pressed advisers for options that would present a punishing onslaught — 1 important enough, successful his view, to compel Iranian leaders to instrumentality to negotiations nether much favorable presumption for Washington. But subject planners person cautioned that specified an result cannot beryllium guaranteed.

In backstage meetings, Gen. Dan Caine, the president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has advised Mr. Trump that a sustained subject run against Iran could transportation important repercussions, specified arsenic retaliation from Tehran and its proxies against U.S. forces and allies, and it could spiral into a drawn-out engagement requiring further American troops and resources.

Over the weekend, peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff told Lara Trump successful an interrogation connected Fox News that Mr. Trump is "curious" astir wherefore Iranians "haven't capitulated."

"Why, nether this benignant of pressure, with the magnitude of oversea power, naval powerfulness that we person implicit there, wherefore they haven't travel to america and said, 'We profess that we don't privation to beryllium — we don't privation a weapon. So, here's what we're prepared to do.' And yet, it's hard to benignant of get them to that place," Witkoff said.

In caller weeks, the U.S. has greatly expanded its subject posture crossed the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford bearer onslaught group and its flotilla of warships are expected to presumption themselves wrong scope of Iranian territory, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln bearer onslaught group and different craft squadrons stationed astatine bases passim the Persian Gulf. Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems person been reinforced to support American troops and determination allies from imaginable retaliation.

Pentagon officials accidental the deployments are antiaircraft and designed to deter escalation, yet the standard and tempo of the physique up underscore that immoderate onslaught successful Iran would astir surely trigger a effect whether done rocket attacks, maritime harassment successful the Strait of Hormuz, oregon proxy forces operating successful Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.

The meetings unfolding wrong the White House regarding Iran bespeak a broader hostility betwixt governmental objectives and subject realities. While the president seeks a melodramatic amusement of unit to fortify his manus successful negotiations, elder commanders person emphasized that wars seldom unfold according to publication and that adjacent cautiously calibrated strikes tin nutrient unpredictable consequences.

For now, the buildup of U.S. subject hardware continues arsenic contingency plans are refined. Whether it culminates successful a constricted onslaught oregon remains a posture of deterrence whitethorn beryllium little connected the president's vexation than connected Tehran's adjacent determination and yet connected however overmuch hazard Washington is prepared to bear.

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