Former Trump defense secretary says US is ‘on the cusp’ of expanding attacks against Iran
Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper told Fox News on Saturday that he believes President Donald Trump is “on the cusp” of escalating attacks in Iran.
Esper, who led the Pentagon from 2019 to 2020 under the first Trump administration, said it is possible American forces did not strike Iran overnight so they could “reposition, prepare, reload, et cetera, for something much bigger that looks like the beginning of the war.”
“This may be a 24- or 48-hour respite,” Esper said. “At the same time, of course, [Trump has] maintained the blockade. I’d like to see him, frankly, expand it to every type of entry and exit point around the country, whether it’s air, sea or ground.”
“I’m a big believer in the blockade in terms of cutting off all sources of revenue, because if they don’t have revenue, Mike, then they can’t rebuild their military. They can’t pursue their nuclear ambitions. They can’t support their proxies,” Esper said, speaking to host Mike Emanuel.
Since Trump is keeping diplomacy as an option, Esper said the president may be using the attack threat as a means of getting Iran back to the negotiating table.
Read the full article here