Retired General Jack Keane issued a pointed warning Saturday, stating that the Iranian government believes it currently holds the upper hand in its ongoing standoff with the United States.
Appearing on Fox & Friends Weekend, the retired four-star general and Fox News analyst suggested that Tehran views the extended ceasefire and recent pauses in conflict not as a diplomatic resolution, but as a strategic victory over President Donald Trump.
According to Keane, Iran’s internal power structure has shifted, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) now acting as the “dominant” force within the government. This shift means the U.S. is negotiating with hardliners who are comfortable dragging out conflict indefinitely to secure better terms.
Keane noted that the Iranian leadership interprets the U.S. decision to pause hostilities—following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—as a sign that the White House is buckling under political and economic pressure.
READ: Trump Scrubs High-Stakes Envoy Trip After Dismissing Iranian Peace Offer As “Not Enough”
“In their minds… they believe that’s a good thing, ‘we’re dragging this out,'” Keane explained. “They believe that’s a good thing… and therefore the pressure will mount on the president in terms of political and economic pressure that would force him to make more concessions than he certainly wanted to make.”
The general warned that the IRGC’s threshold for pain is significantly higher than Western expectations because they are detached from the welfare of their own citizens.
He stated that Iranian military leaders will “absorb suffering much beyond anything we think is tolerable because they do not care about the suffering of their people.”
Despite reports of Iran continuing to strike vessels in the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, Keane praised the current U.S. blockade as “formidable.” He dismissed the idea that the President would give in to the IRGC’s stall tactics, even as the ceasefire deadline passes without a final deal.
Keane concluded that the Iranian leadership is operating under a dangerous assumption regarding the President’s resolve. “[They] are counting on the fact that the pressure will force [Trump] into making concessions he would not be willing to make,” Keane said. “That is not going to happen. I believe they’re in a state of miscalculation.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
