Retired Air Force Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Thursday that the United States is prepared to take immediate military action against Iran if needed, but President Donald Trump's preference remains avoiding war when possible.
"So we're in a situation where we're ready to launch immediately on any type of need for United States military action in Iran," Holt said on "The Chris Salcedo Show."
Holt said the administration's approach is rooted in what he described as a "demilitarized foreign policy," stressing that does not mean the United States lacks military strength or readiness.
"As you know, the president's preference is always demilitarized foreign policy," Holt said. "And that doesn't mean without a military, it means you get to look at all these impressive things we have and you know how we can use them."
Holt said the U.S. military remains a powerful tool that can be employed quickly, but argued that the White House is focused on achieving its goals through other means whenever possible.
He also suggested the administration believes internal opposition to Iran's ruling clerics could play a major role in shaping outcomes, reducing the likelihood that the U.S. will have to intervene directly.
"But if we can get to our aims and our achieves, it's really essential that to the extent they can, these revolutionaries, these patriots, get it done as much as they can themselves," Holt said.
Still, he said the U.S. stands ready to assist if the situation escalates or requires outside pressure.
"If we need to push, if we need to help, we can and we will," Holt said.
Holt pointed to what he described as significant financial outflows from Iran as a sign the country's leadership may already be weakening under pressure.
"But just by looking at the amount of millions of dollars of mullah wires that are leaving the country, I tend to think we're about to get what we want without dropping a bomb," he said.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions involving Iran and growing questions over whether the U.S. could be drawn into a broader conflict in the region.
Holt did not provide details on what specific actions could trigger U.S. military involvement, but said readiness remains high as the administration weighs its next steps.
Trump on Wednesday said he's heard on "good authority" that the killing in Iran "is stopping."
"We have been told that the killing in Iran is stopping; it has stopped; it's stopping," he told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday. "And there's no plan for executions or an execution or executions.
"So I've been told that on good authority. We'll find out about it," Trump added.
The president did not rule out potential U.S. military action, though, saying "we are going to watch what the process is" before noting that his administration had received a "very good statement" from Iran.
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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