Top U.S. General Refuses to Endorse Trump’s Iran War Claims Amid Senate Scrutiny

Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to endorse President Donald Trump’s claims that the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has concluded or that the United States is prevailing in the conflict. His testimony during a Senate Appropriations hearing on May 13, 2026, underscored deep divisions over the war’s status and objectives.

The hearing centered on a $500 billion funding request for the Iran war, submitted just two weeks after Trump told Congress the conflict was “terminated.” Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) pressed Caine on the war’s goals and whether they had been achieved.

Sen. Dick Durbin: “General Caine, the president has claimed on several occasions over the past couple of months that the war is over, the conflict has been concluded. What were the goals of the U.S. conflict in Iran, and have we achieved them?”

Caine declined to provide a direct answer, citing his obligation to maintain trust with multiple stakeholders, including the president, Congress, and the American public.

Gen. Dan Caine: “Well, sir, I’m gonna be mindful of my need to maintain trust with a variety of stakeholders in the job that I’m in, which includes you, the American people, the Joint Force, and the president.… Only our political and civilian leaders set the national military objectives. I’ll defer to the secretary and the president on other strategic objectives.”

Durbin reiterated his question, asking whether the U.S. had achieved its objectives in the conflict. Caine again deferred to civilian leadership, stating:

Gen. Dan Caine: “I’ll defer to the secretary and the president.”

Durbin pressed further, questioning whether the situation in the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global shipping chokepoint—signaled a U.S. victory. Caine once more declined to render a military judgment, emphasizing that only political leaders determine victory or defeat.

Sen. Dick Durbin: “Can you explain to the American people, who are facing these gasoline and diesel oil prices, what is going on in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran—which was attacked by us—seemingly has the Strait of Hormuz at a standstill, with 1,500 tankers waiting for either permission or peaceful circumstances to navigate?”

Caine described Iran’s actions in the Strait as a strategic move to “hold the world’s economy hostage” through military pressure along its southern flank. He urged Iran to reconsider and called on allies to assist in addressing the “tactical problem.”

Gen. Dan Caine: “Militarily, it’s a case where Iran is choosing to hold the world’s economy hostage through their use of military power across their southern flank. And so I would encourage Iran to reconsider that. And I would encourage those allies and partners who have an opportunity to come assist with that tactical problem to do so.”

The exchange highlighted the disconnect between Trump’s public statements and the military’s assessment of the conflict’s status. Durbin’s follow-up question—“Do you feel that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz indicates a victory?”—elicited another deferential response from Caine, who stated:

Gen. Dan Caine: “Only political leaders decide victory or defeat. I'll leave it to them to opine on that… It's a case where Iran is choosing to hold the world's economy hostage.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also present at the hearing, did not provide additional clarity on the war’s objectives or outcomes.