The next is the transcript of an interview with retired Gen. Frank McKenzie that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on June 22, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to the previous commander of CENTCOM, which controls U.S. forces within the Center East, our CBS Information contributor, retired Basic Frank McKenzie. Welcome again to “Face the Nation,” common and- and your former colleagues at CENTCOM extraordinarily busy over these previous couple of hours. From the operation as you have heard it described, what are the questions that- that come to your thoughts about Midnight Hammer and having the ability to assess its success?
GENERAL FRANK MCKENZIE (RET.): So it seems prefer it was a profitable operation, from what we all know now, it will take a short while to construct the battle injury evaluation, and that’ll come out right here within the next- within the days forward, and we’ll get a a lot better image. However I believe we have carried out vital injury, vital, maybe irreversible injury, to the Iranian nuclear program. I believe proper now, although, at CENTCOM, all people is targeted on the subsequent step, and the subsequent step will likely be will there be an Iranian response? What’s going to that response appear to be? What can we do to defend our forces, our embassies, our residents within the area? And what choices can we give the president ought to we select to reply on account of an Iranian assault? So that they’re extraordinarily busy down there proper now, and- however one of many key issues they need to do is you need to make it very clear to Iran that we possess vital fight energy within the theater and can be capable to use it towards them ought to they assault us?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, that’s- that is the hope that they do not do one thing. Are you shocked that there was no retaliation previously few hours? And the place would you be wanting as an space of concern? There are plenty of People who’ve members of the family within the area.
GEN. MCKENZIE: Completely, Margaret. So for one factor, I believe Iranian resolution making is somewhat crippled proper now due to the lack of senior leaders. And as you are effectively conscious, the Iranians do not have good succession planning. Folks have a tendency to enter jobs and keep there for an extended time period whereas they enrich themselves and their households. So cronyism is what- the way you get to the highest of their system, which is dangerous information, if abruptly that particular person is now not there, there isn’t any one able to step in, so the supreme chief most likely has bother speaking to individuals and getting his orders adopted. Now to your query about the place they could strike, I believe we’re actually susceptible in Iraq. I believe we’re actually susceptible in Syria, and I am sure that Central Command has carried out all of the issues we have to do to harden ourselves towards these potential assaults. The identical for our different bases throughout the area. I do not know that it could be localized to the area although. Iran has lengthy harbored the need to assault us in the US. They usually haven’t been efficient once they’ve carried out that. We have caught them in a a few plots which are very public, that you just’re effectively conscious of. So I believe all these issues are on the desk, however it could take the Iranians a short while to work by means of this course of, as a result of no person’s enthusiastic about going to a gathering in Iran proper now.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nicely, you are speaking about a number of the intelligence actions taken by the Mossad to convene a few of these leaders after which kill them suddenly. In the case of what the secretary of state mentioned earlier on this program, I requested him particularly if the U.S. would take navy motion to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Iran tried to shut it. We all know that is being talked about, a minimum of within the public area, in Iran proper now. What would that operation appear to be? Rubio mentioned they don’t seem to be precisely speaking about it on this second, however they’re apprehensive about the- the Iranians mining it.
GEN. MCKENZIE: The Iranians do have the aptitude to mine the Strait of Hormuz. Now we have superb plans to clear that if we needed to do it. We work on these plans on a regular basis. It will be a- it could be a blow to world commerce for a time period, however on the finish, the Strait could be cleared, and I am fairly assured the Iranian Navy would all be sunk on the finish of that operation.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So the CIA- the previous CIA director, Bob Gates, former secretary of protection, was on this program very just lately, and I requested him about bombing the Iranian nuclear program. He mentioned, when he had checked out it, he thought it could at greatest delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions, not finish them. You’ve got checked out this drawback set in nice element. Do you agree that navy pressure just isn’t sufficient to finish this system?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Finally, you want a coverage resolution from Iran to finish the nuclear program. So I believe the secretary’s proper in that- in that- in that place. Now, if- if you do not get a coverage resolution from Iran, you have to commit your self, maybe, to revisiting placing the nuclear program because the Iranians start to unfold out and- and- and proceed to pursue the nuclear possibility. This is the one factor, although, we have now fairly good data of what goes on in Iran, and that good data goes to proceed. So they don’t seem to be possible to have the ability to do one thing in secret that will abruptly creep up on us. We- we- we are likely to hold very shut monitor of this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Nevertheless it comes up repeatedly within the concern, as we have been speaking about with our lawmakers, this creeping in the direction of a broader warfare, this creeping in the direction of America getting drawn in to a warfare that Israel began to take out Iran’s nuclear program. I am not asking concerning the intent of the state itself, however what’s the finish purpose right here? How do you choose success? Have you ever even heard the Israeli authorities or the U.S. authorities say what success is?
GEN. MCKENZIE: Nicely, I believe we have been fairly clear that we do not need Iran to own a nuclear weapon. They’re near possessing a nuclear weapon. I heard all of the exchanges backwards and forwards with the- the opposite visitors in your present this morning about how shut they could or won’t have been, however I believe it is the one completely non-negotiable factor right here. And you may get that by means of an Iranian coverage resolution to not pursue a nuclear weapon, or you may get that by means of removing of that functionality to such a degree that they cannot do it. The second case just isn’t the preferable case, clearly, however you- however there are methods to do that. The one factor I’d add concerning the strike that occurred right here over the previous couple of hours, it was rigorously crafted, narrowly designed towards the nuclear program to provide Iran room to maneuver, diplomatic room to maneuver in the event that they need to search a approach out. So I believe it was very intelligent. Let’s have a look at what occurs. The principal purpose of Iranian statecraft is at this time, because it has all the time been, survival of the regime. Below sure of those eventualities, in the event you go ahead and the warfare widens, I believe the survival of the Iranian state could be very a lot on the desk, and that is one thing they are going to need to keep away from, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However as you have been simply saying, there’s- there isn’t any clear succession plan that the U.S. knew of a minimum of just lately, and so they cannot come up with the boss. He is in a bunker. So how do you truly get a coverage resolution after which can orders truly be given?
GEN. MCKENZIE: So it is a- it is a very troublesome time for Iran proper now. I- I acknowledge all of your factors, but- however the commanding stays alive, a minimum of so far as I do know. He stays alive. He is most likely having bother having conferences. He is most likely having bother getting his orders adopted, however he nonetheless asserts that he is in cost as of a few days in the past, and we, I do not suppose we have made any effort to strike him, nor have the Israelis.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, effectively, proper, and CBS had been reporting that President Trump suggested the Israelis to not take out the supreme chief. We’ll go away it there, and we’ll be proper again.
