President Donald Trump has strengthened U.S. leverage over Iran through sustained military strikes and a renewed blockade, retired U.S. Army Col. William Connor said Sunday on Newsmax.
Appearing on "Wake Up America Weekend," Connor, a former Ranger training commander, said the administration's 13-day bombing campaign, combined with the renewed maritime blockade, has left Tehran in a weakened position as negotiations continue.
"I think it put us in a good position of leverage, because we hit a lot of sites with a lot of good intelligence made over a month," Connor said. "We've also got the blockade in place, so that's half a billion dollars a day being taken from the economy of Iran."
Connor said he would like to see the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) ultimately removed from power, arguing the group will continue to pose a threat if it remains in control.
Bringing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington for talks is also a strategic move because Israel remains prepared for additional military action if diplomacy fails, he said.
"If we've got to turn this back on, it's going to be turned back on, and it's going to be much worse than the last 13 days for them," Connor said, adding that future operations could target dual-use infrastructure permitted under international law to increase pressure on the IRGC.
Asked whether 13 days of strikes were sufficient, Connor said he would have preferred the campaign to continue longer but believes the U.S. achieved significant military objectives.
"I would have liked to have seen it continue on a bit farther, but I would say we're in a very good position right now," he said.
Connor emphasized that the blockade remains a key element of U.S. strategy.
"We really haven't stopped war because a blockade is an act of war," he said. "The blockade right now is extremely punishing for the IRGC as far as money coming in."
Discussing reports that U.S. forces disabled a ship attempting to break the blockade in the Gulf of Oman, Connor said the action demonstrated that the United States is maintaining pressure rather than easing enforcement.
"I'm glad to see what our surface warfare Navy folks are doing, along with the Marines in this blockade," Connor said. "It's working excellently."
Connor also questioned Iran's claims about billions of dollars in oil revenue during the conflict and ceasefire, saying much of the messaging appeared intended for domestic and international audiences.
"I don't necessarily believe that until I see it," he said, arguing Tehran is attempting to project strength despite mounting economic pressure.
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