The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine, has been accused of enabling President Donald Trump to threaten to destroy Iran, a country with a population of 93 million, by threatening to destroy a "whole civilization" in a two-week ceasefire. This comes as the U.S. is losing the war against Iran tactically but losing strategically. Experts have labelled this war as "superpower suicide" when a dominant nation makes poor decisions, self-inflicted injuries, and loses its power. However, no president can act alone, not even Trump, who needs military leaders, diplomats, and senior officials to back his orders. Caine reportedly gave tacit consent for these threats, despite having serious doubts about the war but deciding not to support it. The author suggests that the transformation of the Pentagon and national security state into an extension of Trump's authoritarian project has replaced his personality cult.