US-Iran confl2026-08-09 14:24:54Vance says U.S.-Iran conflict has reached the 'middle game' as Tehran sets six conditions for reopening HormuzU.S. Vice President JD Vance said the conflict between Washington and Tehran is no longer in its opening phase and has moved into what he called the “middle game,” with the White House using diplomatic, economic, and military tools at the same time. According to Xinhua, citing CNN, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine has privately argued that the U.S. needs an “off-ramp” from the Iran campaign, warning that airstrikes alone are unlikely to achieve all of President Donald Trump’s stated objectives while escalation carries clear downsides. The report also said U.S. munitions inventories have come under strain, including THAAD interceptors, Patriot missiles, and Tomahawk cruise missiles. On the Iranian side, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Zolghadr laid out six conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, including a military withdrawal, the lifting of all sanctions, and compensation for war losses. Tehran is also in technical talks with Oman over a temporary shipping route, but Iranian officials said that would not amount to a full reopening of the strait.720
United States2026-08-08 06:46:45Sources: Top U.S. military officer is seeking a way out of the Iran conflictBlockBeats reported on Aug. 8, citing people familiar with the matter, that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine has been looking for a path to pull the United States out of the Iran conflict. According to the report, three informed sources said that over the past several weeks Caine privately told other senior advisers to Donald Trump that Washington needs an exit route, arguing that the military options currently under discussion could backfire. The same sources said air power alone is unlikely to achieve Trump’s objectives. The report added that Caine discussed military options for escalating the conflict with several senior administration figures, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. During those conversations, he also raised possible ways to bring the fighting to an end. Separately, the report said Caine recently held private meetings with several like-minded Trump advisers before their meetings with the president in an effort to align their views. It also said that in a recent meeting with Trump, Caine voiced concern over shrinking U.S. weapons stockpiles, while the two also discussed potential escalation options.1970
