Kimmitt to Newsmax: US Casualties in Iran Conflict Unavoidable

Casualties are an unavoidable reality as U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict expands, retired Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told Newsmax on Sunday after reports that more than two dozen American troops were wounded in a recent Iranian strike on an air base in Saudi Arabia.

"Well, certainly, it's a regrettable part of war that soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, they do get wounded in combat. Nothing comes free," Kimmitt said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America Weekend." "Any expectation that this operation would go without casualties, I think, would be unreasonable."

The Department of War is preparing for weeks of potential ground operations in Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing U.S. officials, with plans that could include raids by special operations forces and conventional infantry.

The report said it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump would approve such operations.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has deployed U.S. Marines to the Middle East as the conflict enters its fifth week and is planning to send thousands of soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the region.

Kimmitt added that while minimizing casualties remains a priority, policymakers should have anticipated the risks as operations intensify. He said the U.S. and Israel remain aligned overall in their approach to Iran, though their objectives are not identical.

"The fact remains, however, they are not completely overlapping," Kimmitt said. "There's a lot of difference between our goals and those of the Israelis."

He noted that while Iran poses a serious challenge to the United States, Israel faces a more immediate threat.

"Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has to worry about an existential threat that has been threatening his country for the last 47 years," Kimmitt said. "The Americans don't feel the same way, although most of our interests converge; many of them do not."

On the broader conflict, Kimmitt said signs of expansion are emerging, pointing to increased activity by Iran-backed groups.

"One of the great surprises was that the Houthis did not support the Iranians from day one," he said. "But sooner or later, there's a very high probability that the Houthis would reenter the war."

He also highlighted growing involvement from other militias.

"The more surprising appearance on the battlefield has been that of the Iraqi Hashd," Kimmitt said, adding that Israeli forces are now targeting threats in Iraq as well.

Retired Navy SEAL Mike Cirelli, appearing alongside Kimmitt, said he does not expect large-scale U.S. troop deployments onto Iranian territory, but instead more limited operations focused on strategic locations.

"What we're talking about is the littoral areas or joint forcible entry operations ... to take Kharg Island, possibly Khasham, Larak, or even Bandar Abbas," he said.

He said those areas are critical to controlling disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

Cirelli agreed with Kimmitt's assessment of differing U.S. and Israeli priorities, saying Israel's proximity to the threat shapes its strategy.

He added that the U.S. is using military pressure to strengthen its negotiating position with Tehran.

"This is strength through negotiations, much like peace through strength," Cirelli said. "He is surging troops forward so that Tehran is staring down the barrel of real consequences if they do not negotiate in good faith."

Both men emphasized that while diplomacy remains a factor, the evolving battlefield suggests the conflict could continue to widen in scope.

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