Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane (ret.) discusses the latest as the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates on ‘Mornings with Maria.’
On the fifth day of Israel and Iran exchanging strikes, the conflict appears to be on the brink of further escalation as Israel targets Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and questions mount over possible U.S. involvement.
Retired four-star Gen. Jack Keane believes that there is an opportunity for the Iranian regime to “be taken off the table,” telling “Mornings with Maria” host Maria Bartiromo that he thinks the move “is the right thing to do.”
The Fox News senior strategic analyst commented on President Donald Trump’s support for Israel in the conflict while maintaining his stance that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.
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“He is supporting Israel 100% to complete the campaign that they started here,” Keane said. “That campaign focuses on Iran’s center of gravity, their nuclear enterprise, and they want to destroy that enterprise as much as they possibly can, decapitate the leadership… And they’re doing a remarkable job in doing that, and also eliminate their ballistic missiles — which is their major weapon that they’re using against the Israelis.”
He added that Israel is “making significant progress in all three of these areas.”
Trump, on Monday, departed early from the G7 summit and called for his team to be assembled in the situation room. The president also took to Truth Social, stressing that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and warning that everyone should evacuate Tehran “immediately.”
Fox News senior strategic analyst comments on the latest on Israel’s Operation Rising Lion during an interview on ‘Mornings with Maria,’ June 17, 2025. (grynold/iStock/Getty Images; FOX Business / Getty Images)
Keane touched on Israel’s progress in Operation Rising Lion — noting their “significant imagination and significant covert capability” to disrupt Iran’s nuclear capability, leadership and military assets — but also pointed out the challenge of taking out their underground nuclear sites.
“I think what is in the offing here is Israel knows full well, even though they have significant imagination and significant covert capability, they know that there’s a couple of deeply buried sites that are very challenging for them to get to with air power and… I’m assuming they would like the United States to assist them in achieving that end state.”
“After all, the president did say he’s not going to permit Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Keane continued.
He warned if the nuclear sites are left intact, the Iranian supreme leader “will be able to achieve what he’s always wanted.”
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“The reason why he [the ayatollah] never voluntarily dismantled the program through negotiations is because he was willing to accept the airstrike, believing that he could still recover some aspect of his nuclear enterprise after the air strikes are completed, and he would be able to rebuild that nuclear program.”
Keane further stressed that that must not happen and explained the role the United States could play in ensuring it doesn’t through “a limited but focused air campaign” with bombs that could penetrate the inaccessible facilities to end Iran’s nuclear goals.
“Think of what it does. [It] takes off the table the thought of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It reduces Iran as a major power broker in the region,” he said.
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