Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland told Newsmax on Wednesday that the conflict involving Iran will not turn into another prolonged U.S. military entanglement, emphasizing that President Donald Trump is determined to avoid a forever war.
Appearing on "Wake Up America," McFarland said the administration is pursuing a strategy designed to quickly achieve its objectives while preventing the conflict from dragging on.
"There are two reasons and two ways to do it," she said when asked how the U.S. can avoid a never-ending war.
First, McFarland said, the U.S. must continue weakening Iran's military capabilities and protecting one of the world's most vital shipping lanes.
"Continue to degrade the Iranian military," she said. "Continue to make sure that the Iranian Navy or drones or fast boats or whatever gets away from the Strait of Hormuz."
Maintaining open passage through the waterway is critical to the global economy, McFarland added.
"We have to keep the Strait of Hormuz open because that's world shipping, that's global prices, that's energy," she said.
At the same time, McFarland said the Trump administration is also working behind the scenes with figures inside Iran who could emerge as alternative leadership.
"Who are they talking to in the Iranian regime?" she said. "You know, the second tier of leaders; the first tier of leaders is gone."
Those discussions may involve military officials, government figures, and opposition leaders who could help stabilize the country if the current regime weakens further.
"What about the second tier of leaders in the regime, in the military and the civilian regime? What about the opposition?" McFarland said.
According to McFarland, intelligence operations have given the U.S. and its allies deep insight into Iran's power structure.
"Remember, Mossad has so thoroughly penetrated the Iranian leadership at all levels that we know who are our potential friends, who we could work with, who we won't ever be able to work with," McFarland said.
She also noted that Iran's leadership currently appears disorganized, with uncertainty over who is actually in charge.
"We know there's a lot of confusion," McFarland said. "I don't think anybody is really in charge in the sense of: is it the military that's in charge?"
"Is it the civilian leadership that's in charge? Are the mullahs in charge?" she questioned.
Iran appears to have delegated more authority to regional commanders, a shift, McFarland said, that could eventually lead to defections within its ranks.
"What if you start seeing defections?" McFarland asked. "What if you start seeing a leader, a military leader in a northern province who says, 'Well, I don't want to be a martyr?'"
Ultimately, she said, Trump is determined to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion without repeating past U.S. interventions in the Middle East.
"At the end of the day, President Trump is not going to have another [former President] George W. Bush war, and he's not going to have a [former President] Barack Obama war like he did in the Arab Spring," McFarland said.
"We are going to win this — it's just going to be on President Trump's terms."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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