Retired U.S. Army four-star General Jack Keane said Iran is intentionally dragging out its war with the United States [1].
This assessment suggests that Tehran is not seeking a diplomatic resolution but is instead using the conflict to destabilize the American political landscape. By extending the timeline of the war, Keane said Iran aims to create unsustainable economic and political burdens for the U.S. administration.
Keane, the former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, discussed these developments during an interview with Sky News Australia earlier this month [1, 3]. He said that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been broadcasting footage on Iranian state television showing the organization training civilians [1, 2].
According to Keane, these public displays of civilian mobilization are designed to signal resolve and increase the pressure on the U.S. president [1, 2]. This strategy is intended to prevent a diplomatic deal that would meet American objectives [1].
"Motivation here is to drag this out and put more political economic pressure on our president, so that at the end of the day, there's no deal," Keane said [1].
He further questioned the possibility of a successful negotiation with the current Iranian leadership. "This fiction that somehow Iran is going to make a deal that would meet the objectives of President Trump, I don't think it's going to happen," Keane said [1].
The general's comments highlight a perceived stalemate where military mobilization and psychological warfare are being used as leverage to avoid a formal settlement [3].
“"Motivation here is to drag this out and put more political economic pressure on our president"”
The strategy described by General Keane indicates a shift from traditional military engagement to a war of attrition focused on political willpower. By training civilians and broadcasting it via state media, Iran is signaling a long-term commitment to resistance, potentially betting that U.S. domestic political or economic instability will force a more favorable outcome than a negotiated treaty.
