U.S. Must Exercise Extreme Caution in Potential Strike on Iran, Retired General Advises

Retired Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer cautioned Thursday that the United States would need to exercise extreme caution in any potential follow-on strike against Iran, arguing future military action should focus on targets that could weaken Iran’s ruling theocracy without harming its population.

A “follow-on strike” refers to a subsequent military attack often occurring shortly after an initial strike, sometimes targeting survivors or reinforcing damage as seen in recent U.S. operations against suspected drug vessels where second strikes hit boats with people still alive, raising legal and ethical questions.

Shaffer, president of Project Sentinel, stated any additional U.S. military action against Iran would depend heavily on the target and broader strategic goals, particularly amid rising tensions within Iran.

During an appearance on “The Chris Salcedo Show,” Shaffer addressed potential scenarios if hostilities escalate with Iran. He emphasized: “It depends on what the target is. There are a number of things happening right now we could be helpful with. One of those things, obviously, is the unrest in the street. We want to make it very clear, we’re against the mullahs and theocracy, not the people of Iran.”

Shaffer further noted: “Persians, I think, right now are potentially on the road to being free. So what we want to do is hit things which would help them rise up against the government. There’s no nuclear sites at this point. There’s some missiles, some rockets that are actually sanctioned by the U.N. that we could take out. But at this point, I think we’d have to be very careful in contemplating any follow-on strike regarding the targeting.”

Shaffer’s comments came as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued fresh warnings following remarks by former President Donald Trump about the possibility of renewed military action if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program.

Pezeshkian stated: “The Islamic Republic of Iran’s response to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” in a social media post. The warning followed Trump’s statement during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where Trump said: “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again… We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them.”