Seventy-Seven Former U.S. Military Personnel: Israel Should Finish the Job Against the Islamic Republic

A group of senior retired military commanders from the U.S. has warned about the nuclear capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and urged President Donald Trump to support Israel. In a letter published by the "Jewish Institute for National Security of America" and signed by 77 retired American generals and admirals, it states that "the time has come for Israel to finish the job against the [Islamic Republic] of Iran." According to Fox News, this letter was released just hours before President Trump's speech at a joint session of Congress, emphasizing that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic would pose a threat to U.S. national security. The signatories of the letter warned that there is not much time left to stop Iran's "movement towards the bomb" and stressed that the Islamic Republic should not be allowed to "cross the nuclear threshold." The letter states: "What Israel wants from the United States is support that ensures the maximum effectiveness of its actions and manages the risk of Iran's reaction. We must provide this support without delay." These former commanders say they do not take the consequences of military action lightly and prefer diplomacy, but they doubt that the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in negotiations in good faith. The signatories claim that repeated negotiations with the Islamic Republic over the past two decades have now placed "the world's primary state sponsor of terrorism" on the brink of developing "the world's most dangerous weapons." Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, March 14, that Russia has agreed to assist the U.S. government through mediation and contact with the Iranian government on issues such as the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and its support for anti-American proxy groups in the region. However, Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council at the White House, told Voice of America that the Trump administration speaks on U.S. national security "from a position of strength" with both friends and foes. Additionally, a source familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity, told the Persian section of Voice of America that "the Russians have offered to mediate with the Islamic Republic, but they have not been asked to play that role." In February, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that Israel is considering extensive attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran this year. According to that report, this action will be aimed at exploiting the weakness of the Islamic Republic and preventing the advancement of its nuclear program. John Hudson, a reporter for the Washington Post, also wrote in a post on X that U.S. intelligence assessments have warned that Israel is likely to attack the "Natanz and Fordow nuclear facilities" in the "first six months" of this year. Some Israeli officials and American lawmakers have recently stated that regarding the nuclear program in Iran, they either agree with the "Libya deal model" or see military action as the other option. President Donald Trump has also stated that he prefers an agreement that dismantles the entire nuclear program. He has said he prefers diplomacy to military options.