As Washington weighs its next move with Tehran, a retired four-star general is urging the United States to act decisively while Iran’s ruling regime is under maximum strain.
According to Fox News, retired Gen. Jack Keane argued over the weekend that the Islamic Republic is more vulnerable now than at any other point in recent history and that relying on diplomacy alone risks squandering a rare strategic moment.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” Keane said military force may be the only realistic option left to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“I think we’re coming down to the reality that the military option is, indeed, the best option here,” Keane said.
Keane framed the moment as a unique opportunity for President Donald Trump, suggesting no other president has faced Iran at such a point of political, economic, and military weakness.
According to Keane, decisive action now could accelerate the collapse of the ruling clerical regime and reshape the Middle East for generations.
Trump, however, has continued to signal openness to diplomacy. The president told reporters Friday that recent nuclear talks in Oman were productive, describing the discussions as “very good.”
“Iran looks like it wants to make a deal very badly,” Trump said aboard Air Force One. “We have to see what that deal is.”
Keane expressed skepticism that any agreement would truly serve U.S. interests. He warned that Tehran’s primary goal in negotiations would be sanctions relief, which he said would only prolong the survival of what he described as a failing regime.
“If they [Iran] make any kind of a deal, the first thing they’re going to want is sanction relief,” Keane said.
He also dismissed Iran’s claims that its nuclear program is purely civilian, calling them a long-running deception.
“They have one nuclear plant in Iran. It represents… less than 1% of the energy to provide and sustain their electric grid,” Keane said. “It’s all a bunch of nonsense. They’ve been lying for years about this, and they continue to do it.”
Keane added that Iran continues to destabilize the region through proxy attacks and internal repression, further undercutting arguments for a diplomatic reset.
His comments followed a high-level U.S. visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper were aboard the carrier during a scheduled deployment, shortly after Witkoff and Kushner participated in the Oman talks with Iranian officials.
Trump has made clear that any agreement would hinge on one non-negotiable condition. He said he would only strike a deal if Iran agrees to forgo nuclear weapons entirely.
