Fox’s Gen. Keane Predicts Trump Returning to Combat Operations In Iran Is ‘Inevitable’

Retired General Jack Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst, told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow on Monday that President Donald Trump will inevitably return to combat operations in Iran, in order to finish the job.

“General Keane, you’ve been in Israel, I know, talking to the Prime Minister and many others. You probably have some sense, some window on what may come next. President Trump has spoken out loud, as you know, in the UN meetings. Maybe he’ll meet with the Iranian president. Maybe he wants more combat operations. Maybe he doesn’t. How do you see it, General Keane?” Kudlow asked.

“Well, first of all, there’s no doubt that Israel is supporting the President’s objectives. They know full well that we’re in a phase here where significant pressure is being applied by a blockade and by Secretary Bessent’s very comprehensive sanctions that he’s putting on the regime,” Keane replied, adding:

That’s a fact. But they’re also ready for the return to major combat operations. So the pathway we’re on right now — what appears pretty obvious — Iran is not going to make concessions to a deal that would meet our objectives. We’re almost six months since the ceasefire on April the 7th, and we don’t have a consequential deal. And the one deal they did make, they broke.

I think we’re on a pathway dealing with Iran, and making a deal — even if it were a perfect deal — and you and I have talked about this before, we know full well they would not comply. They’ll cheat, maybe even in the Trump administration, but for sure whatever administration follows. And then the other thing is, even if you get the perfect deal, what that entails is we will finance their recovery and throw them a lifeline that they will benefit from for years to come, and that means we pass the problem of Iran onto the next administration.

President Trump — that all stopped because he had seven presidents that sequentially passed this problem to him. He scratched his head a number of times and said, “Why hasn’t somebody done something about this until now?” And he has taken the action to do that, in concert with Israel. The reality is, I don’t believe for a minute that President Trump is going to pass this problem onto his successor, whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat. He’s going to end this thing favorably to the interests of the United States and our allies in the region.

“Well, you know, I still — I think the Scott Bessent, I’ll call it economic strangulation, economic collapse scenario — is a terrific scenario. There are reports now, General, as you know, not only can’t they sell any oil in the Persian Gulf, but they’re having trouble trading with — you know — Pakistan doesn’t want to trade with them, Turkey doesn’t want to trade with them, and so forth. So they may be completely isolated economically. Continuing that seems like it will be part of the President’s policy. The question is, General Keane, what about additional combat operations? In your judgment, right now, does it make sense? Do you think President Trump should — you know — deliver a stern warning to the Iranian president at the UN? How does this work, sir?” Kudlow followed up.

“Oh, I think combat operations are inevitable,” Keane replied, adding:

And the reason is the mindset of the regime itself. They are determined here. They believe they can outlast us. They believe their will is there, and that we have weakened as a result of what has taken place with oil spiking and the elections coming. They see that as weakness. Those are real things to the American people — they’re real things, also, when an election is taking place in Israel in the month of October.

But the reality is, the regime is determined to survive and stay in control, and you see that in their proxies. In Hamas — Hamas is regenerating, they’ve got thousands of new recruits, they have not changed one iota — their single identity is the destruction of the State of Israel. They will not voluntarily disarm. Hezbollah, decimated as they are, for sure, are as committed to their goals. Iran is the centerpiece here, and if we take away the centerpiece, the proxies begin to fade as a result of that. That’s the reality of it.

I think combat operations, Larry, are inevitable. It’s a combination of the blockade, the economic pressure Secretary Bessent’s putting on, and — yes — significant combat operations conducted by Israel and the United States to finish this, to set the regime in a place with the right conditions for its collapse; covert operations by the Mossad and the CIA to enhance the fracture of the regime, and also to enhance the citizens of Iran to resist and, yes, to take up arms against this regime. All of that, I think, is the path that we’re likely on here.

Watch the clip above via Fox Business.

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