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Retired four-star General Jack Keane isn’t mincing words about what comes next in the standoff with Iran, and his warning deserves attention. While President Trump signaled progress in negotiations and even postponed planned strikes on Iranian power plants, Keane cautioned that a ceasefire right now would be a strategic blunder of the highest order.
“If we go to ceasefire, that’s playing right into their hands,” Keane told Hannity. “We want to keep the pressure on them to make a deal that makes some sense.”
It’s a perspective grounded in hard-won experience. Keane knows the Iranian regime better than most Washington bureaucrats ever will, and he’s calling them exactly what they are: “pathological liars and cheaters” who have spent decades perfecting the art of deception. This isn’t rhetoric for cable news. This is a man who understands that Tehran’s word has never been worth the paper it’s printed on.
The context matters here. Trump announced a five-day postponement of military strikes after suggesting Iran had shown willingness to negotiate. The president was clear about his bottom line: “They will never have a nuclear weapon.” But Keane’s skepticism cuts through the diplomatic pleasantries. He remembers, as we all should, that just prior to this conflict escalating, the Iranians were already lying to American negotiators and refusing to be forthcoming about any potential deal.
What would a meaningful agreement actually look like? Keane laid it out with military precision. Iran must give up not just its current nuclear infrastructure, but its ballistic missile program and drone capabilities too. Both stockpiles and future production need to be dismantled. Anything less leaves the mullahs with the tools to threaten the region and eventually restart their weapons program.
The leverage we have right now comes from the military pressure being applied. That’s the uncomfortable truth that gets lost in discussions about diplomacy. Every day that American and allied forces maintain operations, Iran’s position weakens. A premature pause doesn’t create space for peace—it creates space for the regime to regroup, rearm, and resume its destabilizing activities.
Trump’s instinct to seek a deal isn’t wrong. The art of the deal has served him well, and his willingness to talk while holding a big stick shows the kind of strategic patience that confuses critics who want everything to be either war or surrender. But Keane’s warning is a necessary counterweight. The pressure must stay on. The regime must feel the consequences of its actions.
What do you think—should we keep the military pressure on Iran until they completely dismantle their nuclear program, or is Trump’s diplomatic approach the smarter play? Sound off below.
Providence watches over the bold.
Source: Fox News
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