THE LATEST | CANADACNN: For Caine, avoiding the Milley approach has meant being more reserved around Trump, and avoiding weighing in too directly on decisions, including what to do in Iran. It’s a tightrope that Caine has been attempting to walk during his year as Trump’s top military adviser – avoid direct conflict with a notoriously mercurial president, while still providing professional military guidance.
Some say Caine hasn’t been assertive enough with Trump. “He’s definitely pulling punches,” a source familiar with Caine’s interactions with Trump said when comparing his White House conversations with his private discussions with military leaders…
Rawstory: “Caine has a direct line to Trump,” said one of the people familiar with the dynamic. “He has to respect the chain of command, but he’s the president’s guy. Hegseth can’t just shove him in a corner.”…
Politico: Pentagon officials and Hill lawmakers are increasingly warning that prolonged Iran strikes could stress U.S. military stockpiles to the brink and make the country more vulnerable.
Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, has raised concerns about the military’s shortage of air defense interceptors since January, according to a person familiar with the conversations. But the fears have magnified in recent weeks as the Pentagon amassed the largest military buildup in the Middle East since the Iraq War…
Politico: Senior advisers to President Donald Trump would prefer Israel strike Iran before the United States launches an assault on the country, according to two people familiar with ongoing discussions.
These Trump administration officials are privately arguing that an Israeli attack would trigger Iran to retaliate, helping muster support from American voters for a U.S. strike…
Financial Times: Iran is aiming to tempt Donald Trump with financial incentives, including investments in its vast oil and gas reserves, as part of efforts to convince the US president to agree a deal on its nuclear programme and avoid war.
One person familiar with the matter described the prospect of a “commercial bonanza”, with Tehran seeking to appeal to Trump’s penchant for deals promising a financial dividend for the US…
BBC: US and Iranian officials are due to meet in Geneva on Thursday for a third round of indirect talks, as President Donald Trump threatens to strike Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached…The talks are seen as a last-ditch effort to prevent a conflict, but the chances of an agreement remain unclear…
The Globe and Mail: Canada’s spy service will be alert to any Iranian attempts to direct its proxies in Canada to strike U.S. targets in this country if the United States attacks Iran, according to former top spies.
Two former assistant directors of operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service told The Globe and Mail Wednesday that Canada and other Western countries’ intelligence services have been working in concert to prevent Iranian attacks in Europe and North America….
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Trump risks walking into an Iraq-style trap in Iran
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