The United States faces a "dangerous set of circumstances" in the Middle East, as any military move to secure global resource hubs like Kharg Island would leave the U.S. with "no reverse gear" in its confrontation with the Iranian regime, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said Sunday on Newsmax.
"I can actually see a scenario where we may have to secure Kharg Island for world security," Holt said on Newsmax's "Sunday Report." "I don't see a reverse gear on getting rid of the regime in Iran. If you leave them standing, you'll have generations of revenge-minded mullahs forever."
His comments came after President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday to "obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran did not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours.
The ultimatum suggested a significant escalation in the conflict, now in its fourth week, coming a day after the president had spoken of "winding down" the war.
Holt emphasized that while the Department of War has likely modeled "option sets" for Trump, any strike on Iranian infrastructure must be surgical to avoid alienating the local population.
"We've got to protect the population," he said. "If it's going to take away desalination plants, if it's going to take the means of food and water, we can't do that because the last thing we want to do is blunt a revolution when we say we're with the Iranian people."
Holt described the tactical balance as a series of "sticky wickets," asserting that the ultimate goal must be placing the country back "into the hands of the Iranian people."
His warnings come as 2,500 U.S. Marines and heavy landing craft continue to head to the region.
Iran responded to the president's ultimatum on Sunday, vowing to attack U.S. infrastructure and energy facilities in the Gulf if Trump carries out his threat to strike their power grid.
Holt also expressed skepticism regarding reports that Iran fired missiles at the joint U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia.
Highlighting that the strike "breaks a pattern" of Iran typically claiming its attacks, Holt suggested the possibility of "agent provocateurs" or interference from other nations. "I'm troubled by the break in that pattern. And I'm also troubled by that type of weaponry out of nowhere, just becoming available," Holt said.
While declining to name specific countries, he noted that U.S. intelligence is likely working "at the speed of heat" to determine if another actor is attempting to escalate the conflict.
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