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'Will be very bad day...': Trump rejects claims of rift within his team, warns Iran of possible strike if nuclear talks collapse

'Will be very bad day...': Trump rejects claims of rift within his team, warns Iran of possible strike if nuclear talks collapse

US President Donald Trump and Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei Photograph: (AFP)

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Trump dismissed reports that General Daniel Caine warned against a US strike on Iran, calling them false. He said the US could easily win but prefers to avoid war. As tensions rise, Washington boosts military presence while Iran warns of regional conflict.

Amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, President Donald Trump on Monday (Feb 24) refuted media reports claiming that General Daniel Caine has cautioned Washington against the war with Tehran. Trump claimed that the reports are ‘fake’ and "100 per cent incorrect." Trump said that no one in his team wants a war with Iran, and the decision to strike Iran will solely be his decision. This comes after major media outlets claimed that General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had privately warned of the "acute risks" associated with a military campaign against Iran. Meanwhile, another report by Guardian stated that Trump will make the final decision on Iran strike based on what his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner informs him about the nuclear talks scheduled on February 26, in Geneva.

What Trump said about disagreements in his team?

Praising General Daniel Caine's role, Trump highlighted his role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strike that US conducted on Iranian nuclear sites. He said that Caine has expressed willingness to "lead the pack" if a strike is ordered. In a Truth Social post, Trump said, “Numerous stories from the Fake News Media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Caine, sometimes referred to as Razin, is against us going to War with Iran. The story does not attribute this vast wealth of knowledge to anyone, and is 100% incorrect. I am the one that makes the decision, I would rather have a Deal than not but, if we don’t make a Deal, it will be a very bad day for that Country and, very sadly, its people, because they are great and wonderful, and something like this should never have happened to them.”

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Disagreements within Trump's team

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Earlier this week, Republican senator Lindsey Graham urged Trump to go ahead with military action against Iran. He said that Trump should not let the “evil go unchecked.” "I understand concerns about major military operations in the Middle East, given past entanglements. However, the voices who counsel against getting entangled seem to ignore the consequences of letting evil go unchecked,” Graham reportedly told Axios. Last week, Graham said that if Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stays in power, it is a big win for Tehran. His remarks suggested that America is planning a military action against Iran within “weeks, not months.” He said that the “risk of regime change is real." "There are unknowns. But let me just say this, I’m willing to take that risk. I think the Iranian people have the potential to be a great ally of the United States, Israel and the region,” Graham said.


Iran has warned of regional war if it is struck. It has also ruled out giving up uranium enrichment and said that US has not demanded zero enrichment. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have taken charge of Hezbollah amid heightened tensions, according to Saudi outlet Al-Arabiya, in what is being seen as preparation of war. The Iranian officers are reportedly briefing Hezbollah operatives across Lebanon. The report added that IRGC officers also met Hezbollah’s missile unit at a site in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley that was bombed by Israel overnight.

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Navashree Nandini

Navashree Nandini is a Senior Sub-Editor at WION News with over six years of experience covering Indian politics, US politics, global conflicts, foreign policy and education, with ...Read More