INTERNACIONAL
Trump faces split among retired US commanders over whether to resume Iran strikes
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President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on «massive life support,» as retired U.S. commanders and national security experts are increasingly split whether Washington should resume military operations against Tehran or avoid what critics warn could become another prolonged Middle East conflict.
«I would say the ceasefire is on massive life support,» Trump told reporters Monday. «Where the doctor walks in and says, ‘Sir, your loved one has approximately a 1% chance of living.’»
Trump also dismissed Iran’s latest response to a proposed agreement as «a piece of garbage,» amid reports the White House is reviewing military options should negotiations collapse.
Retired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, former national security adviser under Trump, said he believes Iran’s leadership is unlikely to make the concessions Trump considers necessary for a deal.
WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’
President Donald Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is on «massive life support,» as retired U.S. commanders and national security experts are increasingly split whether Washington should resume military operations. (Atta KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
«I think the Iranian leadership and IRGC are unwilling to make the kind of concessions that President Trump thinks are at the minimum,» McMaster told Fox News Digital, referring to Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
«President Trump always wants a deal,» he added. «But he’s not going to sign up for a bad deal.»
The emerging debate now centers on a core question facing Washington: whether additional military pressure could force Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile ambitions, or whether renewed strikes would deepen a regional conflict without producing decisive results.
Retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said he believes the current ceasefire and diplomatic track are unlikely to force Iran to back down.
«I really cannot envision anything other than a full return to combat operations,» Fox told Fox News Digital. «The only thing that they will respond to, I think ultimately, is force.»
Fox argued the U.S. military remains capable of reopening and securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing Iranian threats against vessels transiting the waterway.
HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE
Supporters of renewed military action argue Iran is weaker than it has been in decades and that stopping now risks allowing Tehran to regroup, rebuild its missile arsenal and preserve leverage over one of the world’s most important energy choke points. (AP Photo)
«This is a militarily obtainable objective,» he said, outlining a strategy involving guided missile destroyers, attack helicopters, drones and expanded aerial surveillance to create a protected maritime corridor through the Strait.
Fox acknowledged the U.S. Navy is smaller than it was during the 1980s tanker wars, but argued American forces still possess the capability to secure the chokepoint if Washington commits enough naval assets and persistent monitoring operations.
«It’s not easy,» Fox said. «But the geography is fixed.»
He described a possible strategy that would rely on destroyers, drones and attack aircraft to create what he called an «unblinking eye» over the strait, allowing U.S. forces to identify and neutralize Iranian speedboats, drones and anti-shipping threats before they can strike commercial vessels.
Fox also warned against allowing Iran to preserve leverage over Hormuz while continuing to advance its missile and nuclear programs.
«If not now, when?» he said. «If they had a nuclear weapon, they would use it.»
EXPERTS WARN IRAN’S NUCLEAR DOUBLE-TALK DESIGNED TO BUY TIME, UNDERMINE US PRESSURE
But not everyone agrees that renewed military action would produce a better outcome. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Fox, who also signed onto a recent policy paper by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, echoed the report’s argument that Iran is using negotiations to buy time while preserving its military capabilities.
The paper was authored by several retired senior U.S. military officials and national security experts, including retired Gen. Chuck Wald, former deputy commander of U.S. European Command and retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward, former deputy commander of CENTCOM, argued the current ceasefire and diplomatic track «cannot reliably compel Iran» to meet U.S. demands and warned Tehran was seeking to «drag out talks, erode U.S. resolve, and use the time to strengthen itself.»
The report called for expanded military operations targeting Iran’s maritime capabilities, missile infrastructure and internal coercive apparatus while avoiding broad attacks on civilian infrastructure that could trigger wider regional escalation.
But not everyone agrees that renewed military action would produce a better outcome.
Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities and longtime critic of expanded U.S. military interventions, warned that calls to «finish the job» ignore the realities exposed during the recent fighting.
«To ‘finish the job,’ as they say, is irrational,» Davis told Fox News Digital. «It’s illogical, and it violates any kind of military principle.»
KEITH KELLOGG URGES US TO ‘FINISH THE JOB’ AGAINST IRAN BY SEIZING ISLANDS, STRANGLING ECONOMY
A screengrab from a video released by U.S. Central Command shows smoke and dust rising after an explosion at an unknown location during the operation dubbed Epic Fury, an attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, released Feb. 28, 2026. (CENTCOM/Reuters)
Davis argued that despite thousands of strikes and weeks of fighting, Iran retained significant missile and maritime capabilities.
«We couldn’t knock them out with 14,000 targets hit,» he said. «Why does anybody think that going back another time is going to have a different result?»
He described Iran’s geography, dispersed missile infrastructure and asymmetric naval tactics as creating what he called «a militarily unsolvable problem.»
«The only thing left is a diplomatic outcome,» Davis said.
The disagreement reflects a broader divide emerging in Washington as officials weigh what comes next if negotiations fail.
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Supporters of renewed military action argue Iran is weaker than it has been in decades and that stopping now risks allowing Tehran to regroup, rebuild its missile arsenal and preserve leverage over one of the world’s most important energy choke points.
Critics counter that even extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes failed to fundamentally break the regime’s control or eliminate its military capabilities, raising the risk that further escalation could drag the United States into another drawn-out regional conflict with uncertain results.
war with iran, defense, middle east, national security, iran
INTERNACIONAL
Vance takes lead selling Trump’s Iran gamble as Rubio, Hegseth and Ratcliffe cede spotlight on fragile deal
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Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland this week as the Trump administration’s most visible defender of a fragile Iran memorandum of understanding, even as officials moved to tamp down reports of internal concern over whether Tehran can be trusted to follow through on nuclear concessions.
«If it doesn’t happen, I’m blaming JD Vance. If it does happen, I’m taking full credit,» joked President Donald Trump this month of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Iran.
The MOU, signed last week, has not resolved the core dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, but instead opened a 60-day negotiating window aimed at turning broad commitments into enforceable terms — leaving Vance to defend a framework that supporters call a diplomatic opening for sustained stability in the region and skeptics fear could give Tehran room to stall.
While Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe have been central to previous high-profile foreign policy missions, Vance spent last week as one of the administration’s chief public advocates for the Iran deal, repeatedly fielding questions about the negotiations during a media blitz for his new book.
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Trump addresses the media alongside United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, US Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick , US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent during a closing press conference at the G7 summit. (Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images)
A senior U.S. official told Fox News Digital earlier this month that there was a «split» inside the administration on support of the Iran MOU but wouldn’t say which officials did not support the decision. The talks have been fragile for weeks, with the MOU serving less as a breakthrough than a temporary framework while U.S. officials continue to wrestle with whether Iran can be trusted to follow through on nuclear commitments.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly emerged as a key intelligence leader who expressed doubt about the intelligence behind the Iran deal to Trump and other senior officials, Axios reported. Rubio and Hegseth also reportedly held reservations, while Vance and other officials advocated for the MOU, according to the outlet.
The CIA did not comment when asked by Fox News Digital if Ratcliffe was skeptical about the deal.
A second senior U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Trump officials were all aligned in supporting the deal and viewed it as the appropriate path forward.
While a White House official added that Vance emerged as a lead negotiator because Trump tasked him with the role from the outset, arguing his position as vice president gives him the stature to bring key players from countries such as Qatar and Pakistan to the negotiating table.
When asked about the reports of an alleged «split,» the White House fired back that the MOU meets all the previous requirements expressed by the administration and the president would only sign a «good deal.»
«President Trump listens to all opinions on any given issue — but everyone understands he is the final decisionmaker,» a White House official told Fox News Digital.
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Vice President JD Vance took questions from reporters during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Oct. 1, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
While Ratcliffe has historically kept a more reserved role as CIA chief, Rubio and Hegseth have embraced the spotlight repeatedly during high-level missions, hosting press briefings and posting on social media – even sharing memes surrounding major policy wins.
Rubio has publicly backed the MOU, but his support has been noticeably more restrained than his advocacy for past foreign policy efforts. The secretary has reposted clips of the deal signing and Vance’s media appearance discussing Iran, but has not directly made a statement. His latest post on X was congratulating Colombian President-Elect Abelardo De La Espriella on his victory.
Rubio was also part of the president’s delegation in France at the G7, seen standing behind him during Trump’s sideline presser on the deal. Rubio did not make any comments during the press conference.
Hegseth also has remained active on social media during the NATO summit, posting updates on alliance-related meetings and highlighting various War Department initiatives, while notably refraining from commenting directly on the Iran agreement.
His last public remarks directly addressing U.S.-Iran relations came more than a month ago on May 5 during a Pentagon briefing alongside Caine. Hegseth discussed Project Freedom, which was a strike against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure – separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury.
Since then, Hegseth’s public appearances have focused largely on NATO and defense diplomacy, including bilateral meetings with foreign counterparts and engagements with leaders from Italy, Singapore, South Korea and Ecuador.
READ IT: THE FULL TEXT OF THE US-IRAN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
CIA Director John Ratcliffe meets with officials in Havana, Cuba, on May 14, 2026, to discuss intelligence matters. (CIA)
The framework has come under fire from conservatives and liberals alike who have drawn comparisons to former President Barack Obama’s JCPOA, a politically toxic benchmark for many Republicans that the president and Vance have rejected in public remarks.
During an appearance on Fox News’ «The Five» last week, Vance argued the JCPOA comparison stems from a misconception because the proverbial carrot-and-stick positions from the Obama-era deal have been reversed.
The Pentagon doubled down on their backing of the Iranian deal when asked by Fox News Digital if there were any doubts.
«Of course, Secretary Hegseth supports the Peace Deal with Iran and all of President Trump’s objectives,» Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital when asked if there was any friction about the Iran agreement.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott offered Fox News Digital administration a similar statement backing the Iran deal.
«Secretary Rubio and the entire administration is 100% in lockstep behind President Trump. The President has taken unprecedented action to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon, making the U.S. and the entire world safer,» Pigott said.
Rubio is heading to Geneva Monday after Vance has already been engaged in discussions with Iranians alongside Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff since Sunday.
HEGSETH ONCE WARNED AGAINST ENDLESS WARS. NOW HE’S LEADING TRUMP’S STRIKE-FIRST DOCTRINE
Rubio, Hegseth and Ratcliffe have previously been at the center of some of the Trump administration’s most significant foreign policy engagements and achievements, from high-stakes talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska to G7 summits and NATO conferences.
Vance’s absence from Trump’s January Mar-a-Lago announcement following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro drew notice at the time, particularly as Rubio, Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and senior adviser Stephen Miller appeared alongside the president for the administration’s victory-lap moment.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Office of the Vice President for comment.
Vance stayed late into the night Sunday evening to push the deal to the finish line in an attempt to get nuclear inspections to start as soon as possible.
«It’s funny, we were trying to call some of the inspectors last night around two in the morning. As you can expect, not many people are answering their phone at two in the morning,» said Vance Monday.
«I expect that will happen at the minimum this week, but we think even some of those conversations with the inspectors and with the IAEA could happen as soon as today,» Vance added.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Crietz contributed to this report.
pete hegseth, cia, iran, jd vance, marco rubio
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) says it has opened an investigation into a New York City coffee shop after it blasted Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., in a social media post, saying it should not have served him, and he should never come back due to his support of Israel.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the DOJ has opened an investigation into the Poetica Coffee Shop in Brooklyn.
Dhillon says the department is aware of the «denial of service taunts» directed at Goldman and says federal law prohibits public accommodations, including coffee shops, from discriminating against patrons based on race, religion, or national origin. Dhillon says the alleged denial of service could violate federal anti-discrimination law and says enforcement action is possible.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, Poetica Coffee said it issued a refund to Goldman after learning that he had stopped by the location with his young daughter. The shop added that it would have simply turned Goldman away if staff had recognized him at the time.
SMOOTHIE KING FIRES EMPLOYEES WHO REFUSED TO SERVE CUSTOMERS OVER TRUMP SWEATSHIRT
Rep. Dan Goldman, D, N.Y., was criticized by Poetica, a left-leaning coffee shop in Brooklyn, which called scolded him over his support for Israel. (Dan Goldman)
«Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference?» the post stated, referring to Goldman’s support for Israel and accusations that the Jewish state has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
«See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between,» the post continued. «Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.»
A Brooklyn, N.Y., coffee shop refunded a purchase made by Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., over the weekend over his support for Israel, saying the company doesn’t serve «genocide enablers.» (Getty Images; Google Maps)
In a statement on social media, Goldman said he was disappointed by the shop’s remarks.
«I’m sorry to see this post,» he said. «The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me—allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything. I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.»
In response, the shop said it was the barista’s idea to refund Goldman’s purchase. The poster added that they will be voting against Goldman, who faces a Democratic primary challenge from former city Comptroller Brad Lander.
DEMOCRATIC REP FEARS PARTY TURNING ANTISEMITIC PROTESTERS INTO ‘MARTYRS’ IN BATTLE AGAINST TRUMP DEPORTATIONS
Fox News Digital has reached out to Goldman and the coffee shop, as well as the offices of New York State Attorney General Letitia James and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
«No comment. We stand against genocide,» a staffer told the New York Post.
The shop’s social media post was quickly criticized online.
Mark Treyger, the CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, said the incident warrants a review under city and state human rights laws.
MAMDANI IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER FIRST VETO DERAILS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM: ‘DISAPPOINTED’
Poetica Coffee in Brooklyn, N.Y., criticized Rep. Dan Goldman, N.Y., over his support for Israel. (Dan Goldman)
«Turning a cup of coffee into a Jewish identity litmus test is an affront to the law, our values, and every New Yorker who rejects discrimination,» he wrote on X. «If an identifiable Jewish customer walks into a coffee shop wearing a kippah or Magen David, are they expected to first disclose their views on Middle East policy before being served?»
The incident appears to contradict the opening statement on Poetica Coffee’s website by its owner, Parviz Mukhamadkulov, an Uzbek immigrant who opened his first location in 2020.
«In practice, it looks like a café where the door doesn’t close on anyone, where tea gets poured before anyone asks who you are,» the website states. «The guest is sacred because the act of welcoming is how a community keeps itself intact.»
Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., stands outside the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, New Jersey, on May 28, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital.)
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The shop also claims on its site that «whoever walks through the door is treated with unconditional dignity.»
«Not as a customer. Not as a transaction. As someone who arrived and deserves to be welcomed,» the site reads.
new york, coffee, anti semitism, zohran mamdani, judaism
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