America’s highest-ranking military officer has privately urged senior Trump administration officials to find a way out of the war with Iran, warning that further escalation could backfire, according to a CNN report based on unnamed sources.

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reportedly believes that air strikes alone are unlikely to achieve President Donald Trump’s stated objectives or force Tehran to accept an agreement on Washington’s terms.

“Caine is looking for an off-ramp,” one source familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The account could not be independently verified. Caine’s office did not confirm that he had advocated ending the conflict, which began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February.

CNN said Caine had discussed the limits and risks of further military action with Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The general reportedly held separate meetings with senior officials to improve coordination before discussions with Trump and to outline the likely consequences of the available military options, including those that would not involve American ground forces.

Caine publicly told lawmakers in July that “airpower has its limits”, although his role requires him to prepare and present military options rather than decide US policy. The final decision rests with Trump.

Joseph Holstead, a spokesman for Caine, said the chairman’s office did not discuss his confidential conversations with the president or other senior officials.

He also rejected what he described as anonymous, “agenda-driven characterisations” by people who were not present for the discussions.

A White House official called Caine an “incredible asset” to Trump’s national security team and said he regularly supplied the president with accurate information and a range of options. The official did not directly dispute CNN’s central account.

The report said Caine and other officials had raised concerns about a proposal for more intensive strikes in late July. Trump initially appeared prepared to approve a large operation but ultimately held back after Gulf governments warned that Iran could retaliate against regional energy infrastructure, according to CNN.

The planned attacks have not been permanently ruled out, the network reported.

Concerns over diminishing stocks of some American munitions have further narrowed Washington’s choices. Reuters reported that US commanders advised Trump in July that supplies of certain weapons were running low after months of operations.

Officials in the Gulf have also questioned whether sufficient advanced American air-defence systems would be available to protect their territory from a major Iranian response, according to CNN.

Trump has repeatedly opposed a ground invasion, arguing instead that sustained bombing could pressure Tehran into accepting his demands. No senior administration official is publicly advocating the deployment of ground forces.

CNN said officials were considering an outcome that Trump could present as at least a symbolic victory without obstructing a diplomatic settlement. Efforts to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have emerged as the most immediate route towards de-escalation.

A US official told Reuters on 7 August that Iran and Oman were making progress towards an agreement and that Washington expected a deal soon. The official said the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports once commercial shipping through the strait resumed without impediments.

Iran and Oman have agreed on the coordinates of a proposed shipping route, but questions remain over Tehran’s authority to inspect vessels, its demand for transit fees and the arrangements for ships linked to countries it regards as hostile.

No final Hormuz agreement or broader ceasefire had been announced by Saturday, and the possibility of further US strikes remained open.