The next is a transcript of an interview with retired Gen. Frank McKenzie, former commander of U.S. forces within the Center East, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Oct. 6, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: To debate the continuing battle within the Center East, we go now to retired Common Frank McKenzie, who was the previous commander of US forces within the Center East. It is good to have you ever again with us, Common, we noticed–
GENERAL FRANK MCKENZIE: Good to be with you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We noticed the US and Israel say there could be extreme penalties for what Iran did with these 180 missiles fired at Israel, President Biden mentioned he would not assist an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear amenities, and he’d be pondering as an alternative about different targets to grease fields. What do you anticipate the US to do, and what do you anticipate to occur within the subsequent few days?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Properly, Margaret, let’s start by saying Iran is the nation that is in a nook. Their strike in opposition to Israel a number of nights in the past was not notably profitable. Their principal ally within the area, Hezbollah has been decapitated, and its personal offensive functionality is gravely restricted. Hezbollah’s is gravely restricted. So Iran’s on their again heel. Israel has loads of decisions right here. They will select for one thing that will be very escalatory when it comes to a strike in opposition to the Supreme Chief himself, maybe, or in opposition to the nuclear program, or in opposition to the oil infrastructure, or they might have a look at army intelligence targets. They’ve all kinds of choices that they will select from. They’ve the potential to execute most of these assaults, I’ll say this, the nuclear goal is a really tough goal. It is giant and sophisticated. I held the plans for that after I was a central command commander. I am very conversant in it. There are loads of different alternate options to that concentrate on that maybe you possibly can go after first, then maintain out in case you get into an escalatory ladder with the Iranians. However the Israelis are definitely going to hit again, and I predict it will likely be bigger than the very restrained, very modulated response that we noticed in April after the primary giant Iranian assault on Israel.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You heard the Republican Chair of the Home Intelligence Committee not advocate for an assault on nuclear amenities, however say it should not be taken off the desk. It has been extensively reported for a while, Common that it is solely the US who may successfully take out the underground amenities that Iran has. Does that stay the case?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Properly, let me start by saying you need to by no means take a possible goal off the menu. You need your adversary to should plan to defend the whole lot. So giving-giving them help and never understanding and not-not having to defend in opposition to a selected goal might be not the easiest way to ascertain this type of deterrence. Having mentioned that, the Iranian nuclear goal is a really tough goal, we’ve got particular capabilities that enable us to get at it. The Israelis do not need all of these capabilities. They will definitely harm this goal in the event that they select to, in the event that they select to strike it. However once more, due to its measurement, complexity and scope and the way it’s expanded during the last 10 years, it is a very tough goal to take out. It will be very useful resource intensive, and I’d simply, I’d argue, simply from a purely army perspective, there are maybe targets which might be extra productive to hit in an preliminary response.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you need to give us some choices?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Properly, once more, , we talked about a few of them. I feel oil infrastructure is definitely a risk. And the oil infrastructure could be very broad. You possibly can have a look at refineries, you possibly can have a look at storage amenities, you possibly can have a look at areas the place the oil is unloaded onto ships. So inside the oil goal, it isn’t monolithic. You possibly can- you could be escalatory or much less escalatory, as you have a look at targets there. That may be one thing to check out, however I am going to let you know the opposite factor, Margaret, is the Iranians made an enormous present of concentrating on the Mossad headquarters in city Tel Aviv. Israel definitely has the potential to go after IRGC, Islamic Republican Guard Corps headquarters and intelligence buildings throughout Tehran or wherever else. Once more, as we all know from April, Israel has the power to function not with impunity, however with nice pressure over Iran at a time and place of their selecting. And I am positive they’re desirous about all these choices proper now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: There’s additionally that threat of unintended penalties, since you’ve got characterised Iran as cornered right here, are you in any respect involved that this might be the sort of occasion that will set off them to truly pursue a nuclear weapon? They’ve given themselves choices, however they’ve by no means totally pursued it in the way in which that US intelligence has mentioned the supreme chief must make the last word determination to do. May this be the set off occasion?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Margaret, it is all the time been my perception that the Iranians flirt with breakout, with getting fissile materials to create a bomb to be able to extract concessions from us, as a result of we dance, we’re very keen to come back to an settlement with them on the nuclear challenge, so that they know they will get stuff from us. Additionally they know in the event that they cross that line, you possibly can’t return. That is a Rubicon that may’t be recrossed. However even when they, even when they do develop the fissile materials, which they will do, inside a matter of days or perhaps weeks, they nonetheless have a supply downside. They have to create a missile and an entry system that may enable it to take the missile to Tel Aviv or no matter goal they select. That is a matter of many months, and that is the valley of demise for Iran, as a result of throughout that time frame, they may have declared nuclear, and they are going to be weak. It is not a physics downside, then it is an aeronautical engineering downside, and the aeronautical engineering methods in Iran are going to be weak to assault. So it isn’t as straightforward as you may suppose for them to simply declare, , we’re going nuclear, or to go nuclear. They have to stability quite a lot of issues as they try this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Vital context. If I can ask you, sir, former President Trump, as , faces an ongoing assassination risk as revenge for ordering the killing of Qassim Soleimani, that Iranian normal. You performed a key function in that, and I do know you face threats as effectively. Mr. Trump just lately mentioned, large threats on my life by Iran. The complete US army is watching and ready. The Biden White Home has condemned the threats, however some Republicans say it isn’t loud sufficient. How do you suppose this needs to be messaged? Do you suppose Iran is getting the message to not undergo with this?
GEN. MCKENZIE: So every time we have a look at Iran, we have to have a look at what’s their fundamental motivation. The principal aim of Iranian statecraft is regime preservation. They view the election of President Trump as a direct risk to that regime preservation. So I’ve little question believing that Iran may be very lively in its makes an attempt to go after the previous president, in addition to different officers, of which I’m keenly, personally as effectively. However I feel that-that’s what’s driving their conduct. Is desperation. Margaret, it is really the identical kind of desperation that drove the large assault on Israel of three or 4 nights in the past. They’re in a nook they usually actually have no good choices, however they do not need to sit nonetheless and do nothing. They view President Trump as worse than the choice that might be elected.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Common, thanks on your evaluation.
