Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax that Iranian leaders know if they try to continue stalling demilitarization talks with the Trump administration, they are facing U.S. "jets in the air."
Holt told "American Agenda" on Monday, "I think the first time the United States senses what we saw last time, which was stalling, trying to move the goalposts, irreconcilable differences, if you will, then we're going to start seeing jets in the air."
He said it may not take much to move the needle from attempted diplomacy to new military strikes.
"I would expect that first you'll see the meeting between [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and President [Donald] Trump.
"But I think that they're getting ready to wind it up because it's not only about missiles, it's because of the slaughter of innocent Iranians."
Holt said that the message for Iranian leadership has already been determined. "I really do think it's about where are you going to be exiled to and how much of your stolen money are you going to get to keep?"
"And then," Holt said, "is the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] going to flip into the hands of the Iranians, or are they going to try to make a stand and fight them?
"I think that's where we really are going."
He said having a Navy admiral showing up at a recent meeting in full dress uniform was a not-so-subtle reminder to Iran that they're "looking you right down the barrel … about what his tools are and what his capabilities are and what he's prepared to do to you."
Holt said a show of military presence is sometimes needed to put reluctant regimes in a better state of mind to wrap up talks they can't win. "There's nothing like a guy in uniform who's got the weight of a carrier strike group behind him to get into your head rent-free," he said.
Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said Iran is attempting to delay nuclear negotiations as Netanyahu prepares to meet Trump on Wednesday in Washington.
Wilkie made the remarks during a Monday appearance on Newsmax where he said Netanyahu approaches the discussions with a history of confronting Iran and its regional actions as attention remains focused on Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missile capabilities.
"I think he has a track record that impresses everybody," Wilkie said.
Netanyahu's office said that any negotiations with Iran should include restrictions on Tehran's ballistic missile program and an end to support for proxy groups including Hezbollah and Hamas, positions Iran has historically opposed.
Wilkie questioned whether Iranian officials are negotiating in good faith.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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