Gen. Kellogg to Newsmax: Trump Should Bring Iran to Its Knees

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg

 

 told Newsmax on Monday that President Donald Trump should suspend negotiations with Iran and instead move aggressively to choke off Tehran's economy by seizing strategic locations, including Kharg Island.

"I cannot believe how reasonable he's been in this whole process and how measured he's been," Kellogg told "Rob Schmitt Tonight."

Earlier Monday, Trump said he had called off a planned strike against Iran because there was still "a good chance" a deal could be reached, despite the White House rejecting Tehran's latest nuclear proposal as inadequate.

The Iranian proposal included broader language pledging not to pursue a nuclear weapon but did not contain specific commitments to halt uranium enrichment or surrender existing stockpiles of highly enriched uranium.

Kellogg argued the administration should stop negotiating altogether.

"What I'm saying is I think we should break negotiations off," Kellogg said.

Kellogg said the United States should seize Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal in the Persian Gulf.

"We should seize Kharg Island for a couple of reasons," Kellogg said. "One, it controls 90% of their economy. You put the whole country at risk, especially the leadership."

Kharg Island handles most of Iran's crude oil exports and is widely viewed as economically vital to the regime.

Kellogg also called for U.S. forces to take Larak Island, which he described as Iran's command-and-control position near the Strait of Hormuz.

"You take Larak Island, which is your command-and-control hub for the strait," he said. "You put your Marines in there."

Kellogg said the U.S. Navy should then position minesweepers to keep shipping lanes open.

"You line up your Avenger-class minesweepers, and you escort everybody out of the Gulf on the Omani side," he said.

 

The retired general warned against trusting Iranian officials during negotiations, specifically mentioning Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"I don't trust the Iranians, the Revolutionary Guards at all," Kellogg said. "We're falling right into Araghchi … the playbook that he set out."

Kellogg argued that targeting Iran's economic survival would be more effective than solely eliminating military leaders.

"That's the reason I said, you go after a place like Kharg Island, you take away their economy, you put them at risk, you strangle them," he said.

Asked how long such a strategy would take to weaken the regime, Kellogg said he believed the pressure could produce results relatively quickly.

"I don't think it takes years. It may not even take months," he said.

Kellogg also openly endorsed regime change in Tehran.

"Does it mean regime change? Yeah, because you cannot deal with a theocratic government," he said. "These guys are thugs."

He said the U.S. should make clear negotiations are no longer the priority.

"You basically say, 'You have my phone number. Give me a call when you want to talk,'" Kellogg said. "But you put everything they own at risk right now."