Ex-CIA chief, Gen. David Petraeus is warning there is "clearly the prospect for some inadvertent escalation" of tensions between the United States and Iran.
In an interview Tuesday on CNBC, the retired four-star Army general, who served as commander of the U.S. Central Command and of coalition forces in Afghanistan, said it is "not clear what our policy is in the Middle East regarding Iran's nuclear program . . . what our policy to [Iran's] nuclear program, missile program, and malign activity [is]."
The remarks come amid mounting tensions in the Persian Gulf region, including Iran's seizure last Friday of a British-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
"Fraught is a way to describe this particular situation," he said. "There clearly is a prospect for some inadvertent escalation.
"He clearly is going to have to respond if something serious happens to American soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, our diplomats, and there is a lot of threat out there we face now."
Asked how he would handle the tension from Iran's military — and their proxies in Iraq, Syria, and elsewhere in the Mideast —Petraeus said, "If I were still Central Command Commander or CIA director, I would be dusting off many contingency plans we've developed."
"I would be searching for clarity in regard to Iran policy," he said.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.