Former Undersecretary of Defense Robert Wilkie told Newsmax on Monday that President Donald Trump's decision to postpone strikes on Iranian energy sites for five days appears to be a calculated military smokescreen designed to conceal U.S. troop movements in the Middle East.
During an appearance on Newsmax's "Wake Up America," Wilkie said the pause should not be interpreted as a sign that Tehran is suddenly serious about diplomacy, even after Trump said on Truth Social both sides had held "very good and productive conversations" about a possible end to hostilities.
The former Trump official urged caution, saying it would be unwise to get too far ahead of events while making clear he has little faith in Iran's claims.
"There's nothing that the Iranians say that resembles the truth," Wilkie said, casting immediate doubt on the notion that the regime is acting in good faith.
Instead, Wilkie said he believes the delay is serving a far more strategic purpose as the United States repositions assets for a possible operation centered on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.
"I think what's happening is that this is a screen for the movement of Marines and special forces into the area, to finally free up the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Wilkie noted the waterway is not fully shut down, but stressed that traffic remains severely constrained, saying "about 20% of the normal traffic is getting through," a disruption with major implications for global oil shipments and regional stability.
The likely next step, he said, would be a mission to secure strategic islands and positions in southern Iran to reopen the strait and restore freedom of navigation.
"I think the only way to really end this matter is to put our folks on those islands," Wilkie said. "In southern Iran, we have air supremacy, so there's not going to be a massive [opening] for attack on the part of the Iranians."
Drawing on his Pentagon experience, Wilkie said such an operation would not be improvised.
"That's been in the contingency plans," he said, noting he saw similar scenarios during war games both as undersecretary and as an Air Force colonel at the Pentagon.
"I think that's where we are headed in order to free the straits," Wilkie added.
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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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