Fox News Military Analyst: US ‘On the Cusp of Returning to Full-Throttle Combat Operations’ in Iran
Isaac Schorr
May 18th, 2026, 10:25 am
Fox News senior strategic analyst and retired Army General Jack Keane said that the United States is on the cusp of returning to full-throttle combat operations in Iran during a Monday morning appearance on America’s Newsroom.
Keane’s comments came after anchor Bill Hemmer prompted him with the following query:
What I do understand from the president’s perspective coming out of China is that he wants the strait reopened for all countries who do business there. But I’m reading this, general, 30 of the 33 missile sites in the strait still remain and access has been restored to 30 of 33. Is the U.S. military operating from square one now after this quote unquote “ceasefire,” general, starting now.
“They want to run this clock out, increase the political economic pressure on the president. And they just don’t care about the suffering of people,” argued Keaneabout the Iranian regime. “What do they care about? They care about, one, the survival of the regime and themselves. That’s what this is all about. And if they get a negotiated deal, they think that they’ll get financing to help recover the regime. That is what their objective is here.”
“Where are we? The president has exhibited a huge amount of patience here since the ceasefire on April the 8th. And we’ve tried to work a deal with these guys, and it just doesn’t seem possible. And where we are, we’re on the cusp of going back into military operations. When we stopped. Bill and Dana, we had two weeks to go, a little less than 30% of the targets. Those targets remain, but we have better intelligence now, after these five, six weeks. So that target list is expanded. It’s considerably more comprehensive,” he continued. “It’ll be a combined operation with the United States and Israel going full throttle, all out, no half measures here whatsoever. And when those target lists are complete and they will consist of the rest of the weapons that are remaining, to indicate some of what you just mentioned, to include what remains of nuclear, and also all the organizations that sustain the regime. We have better intelligence on locations and other things associated with that, and certainly they’re going to be a comprehensive target list in of itself, and then a grouping of targets that really deal with all of Iran’s revenue sources to force an economic collapse of the regime. Obviously, Kharg Island blockade is having significant impact. But this attack will even further aggravate their ability to gain revenue source. Without revenue, it’s hard to see how this regime can survive. So we put it on a path.”
“And I think at some point at the end of this thing,after we open the Straits of Hormuz and begin to get it secure, offer the IRGC leaders, you know, a free trip out to a place of their choice and see if we can work a deal, that kind of a deal with them, and make some positive changes in the regime,” concluded Keane.“So yes, we are on the cusp of returning to full-throttle combat operations.”
Watch below via Fox News.
https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/fox-news-military-analyst-us-on-the-cusp-of-returning-to-full-throttle-combat-operations-in-iran/
Gen Keane: We're on the CUSP of going FULL THROTTLE…
Gen. Jack Keane warns the U.S. and Israel may be on the cusp of renewed military operations against Iran as the regime faces economic pressure and Strait of Hormuz tensions. Keane says Iran is trying to run out the clock while Trump weighs the next move
6:05
https://youtu.be/55a9jc4Tjy0