Fox Military Expert Warns Trump Got a ‘Little Squishy’ in Dealing With Iran in Recent Weeks

Fox News anchor Trace Gallagher spoke to John Teichert, a retired Air Force Brigadier General, and Navy veteran turned Heritage Foundation fellow Brent Sadler on Wednesday night about President Donald Trump’s latest escalation in the war in Iran.

Sadler concluded his analysis by warning that the Middle East only “responds to strength” and that in recent weeks, Trump had appeared a “little squishy” to the Iranians.

Gallagher began part of the discussion by quoting from Fox News contributor Gen. Jack Keane, who argued that Trump will likely need to “accelerate” military operations to try to take the Strait of Hormuz from Iran.

“Very important thing right there — I want to read that again. Brent Sadler says, ‘Acceleration of military operations to bend them to our will — that’s the path we’re on.’ Would you agree that that is the path we are on?” Gallagher asked Sadler.

Sadler replied, “It’s not clear that’s the path the president is willing to take yet, though he has talked about occupying Kharg Island, and maybe there could be other sites that actually get to what the general’s talking about here, because to get to what I think General Keane is insinuating, it’s more than strikes from the air,” Sadler replied, adding:

It’s going to have to be taking away any leverage that the regime has over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz — that’s centered along the coastline around Bandar Abbas and places like Sirik and Chabahar. But really it’s Bandar Abbas, where the Iranian Navy and the IRGC maritime forces are located. It’s also where all their weapons imports come in from, say, places like China.

Gallagher continued, “Yeah, a little bit of breaking news for both of you gentlemen. We have just heard U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, has just said they have finished the strikes for tonight. We’re still trying to gather information on how many different sites they hit. Remember, 90 Iranian military targets — I’m being told from the booth there — so, 90 tonight. There were 80 last night. They went about four hours last night; looks like they went a fair bit longer tonight. General Teichert, I’m just wondering if you would take anything away from that. Looks like there was more going on tonight than last night — is it the last night, or is it going to continue into tomorrow and beyond?”

Teichert replied, “Trace, I hope CENTCOM took a step back and mapped out what are the things that the regime values most, what are their sources of strength, and is now focusing on those targets, because that will get the attention of the regime — that will change the strategic calculus. And I really hope that we’re not focusing on the number of targets, but the quality of targets, to make sure we can achieve our strategic interests.”

Gallagher continued the conversation by noting the Israelis offered this week to rejoin the fight against Iran if the U.S. asked for their help.

“And if you couple that with Israel wanting to help — again, going into Iran — and then you have these other Arab nations being hit by Iran, the picture in the Middle East becomes kind of everybody against Iran. Brent Sadler?” Gallagher asked.

Sadler replied, “Yes. I mean, the region responds to strength, and they’ve been responding positively when President Trump acts decisively. It was starting to get a little squishy here, with some of the back and forth — this cycle of attack, then negotiate, then attack, then negotiate, over the last few weeks.”

“So I think this resolve — it’s also an opportunity for the Israelis to finish off Hezbollah in Lebanon now that the gloves are off once again, and then, hopefully, we’ll be able to free up the Israelis to be much more focused with us on the Iranians. But again, I think we’ve got to take away the leverage the regime seems to think they have in the Strait of Hormuz,” Sadler concluded.

Gallagher agreed, “That’s a fair assessment.”

Watch above via Fox News.

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