Administration

Resumed US combat operations with Iran ‘inevitable’: Retired general

Comments:

by Ellen Mitchell - 05/05/26 3:58 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

by Ellen Mitchell - 05/05/26 3:58 PM ET

Comments:

Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Retired four-star Army Gen. Jack Keane predicted on Tuesday that it is “inevitable” that the U.S. would return to combat with Iran due to Tehran firing shots in the Strait of Hormuz amid a shaky ceasefire.

Iranian cruise missiles this week have targeted Navy ships and merchant ships in the waterway, which the U.S. shot down.

American forces also on Monday sank six small Iranian boats attempting to attack commercial vessels, according to U.S. Central Command.

The tit-for-tat, which began after Washington announced Project Freedom – a military plan to increase the number of ships moving through the strait – is threatening to upend a ceasefire deal that has been in place since early last month.

“I think it’s inevitable that we’re going to return to combat operations here,” Keane said on Fox Business. “The priority for us will continue to be opening up the Strait of Hormuz. We likely can do some selective targeting of some very critical targets as Iran continues to violate the ceasefire.”

Keane said the sunk Iranian small boats did not violate the ceasefire on Washington’s end, and that the military is “in a completely defensive crouch to protect the ships going through” the strait.

“It is Iran who broke the ceasefire by firing at the ships, by firing at UAE and Oman and firing at U.S. warships, to include the merchant vessels. . . . We’re completely justified in responding to that,” said Keane, who served as acting Army chief of staff in 1993.

The effort to guide commercial vessels through the strait – which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has closed since the first wave of American-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28 – has reignited hostilities between Iranian and U.S. forces.

Commercial shipping remains at a near standstill two days into Project Freedom, with only two U.S.-flagged vessels making it through the strait under protection. The figure is far below the roughly 120 ships that move through the waterway in times of peace.

A ceasefire between Washington and Tehran remains in effect despite the U.S. accusing the regime of continued attacks. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said Tuesday that the Iranian military has attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times since the two sides agreed to lay down their weapons on April 7.

“Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships. And they’ve attacked U.S. forces more than 10 times,” Caine told reporters at the Pentagon, noting that the number of attacks is “below the level of restarting major combat operations.”

Add as preferred source on Google