Trump denies reports top general has warned him over pitfalls of potential Iran attack as nuclear talks continue
Reports claim that General Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has cautioned Trump about the risks of war with Iran
President Trump has furiously denied reports that the US's top general had warned him about the risks of a rumoured military campaign against Iran.
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Reports claim that General Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has cautioned Trump about the risks of war with Iran.
The denial in a post on his Truth Social platform comes as the US and Iran are locked in talks aimed at securing a deal on the Middle Eastern nation's nuclear programme.
The President wrote: “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."
General Caine was reported to have warned Trump that he was less confident of a successful attack on Iran than he was about the successful abduction of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela in early January.
The Guardian reports that Caine's concerns centre upon the lack of anti-missile systems currently in American stockpiles.
Despite the suggestion in recent weeks that an attack on Iran is imminent, a minister for the nation's government has claimed there is a "good chance" a nuclear deal could be reached with the US ahead of the next round of talks this week.
Delegates will meet in Geneva on Thursday in an attempt to de-escalate rising tensions.
Oman's foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi said on social media he was pleased to confirm the development "with a positive push to go the extra mile towards finalising the deal".
The country previously hosted the indirect talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme and facilitated the latest round of negotiations in the Swiss capital last week.
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS in an interview which aired on Sunday that a "good chance" remained for a diplomatic solution on the nuclear issue, adding it was the only matter being discussed.
The developments come after Trump was said to be "curious" about Iran's position, with the US president reportedly questioning why its leaders had not yet "capitulated" amid the build-up of US military forces in the Middle East.
Special envoy Steve Witkoff said: "I don't want to use the word 'frustrated'... because he [Trump] understands he's got plenty of alternatives, but he's curious as to why they haven't - I don't want to use the word 'capitulated' - but why they haven't capitulated.
"Why, under this sort of pressure, with the amount of sea power and naval power that we have over there, why haven't they come to us and said 'We profess that we don't want a weapon, so here's what we're prepared to do?'"
The Trump administration has been pushing for concessions from its long-time adversary and has built up the largest US military presence in the Middle East in decades.