By Nicole Weatherholtz | Monday, March 9, 2026 at 10:20 a.m. EST
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark said on Monday that the United States must create the conditions necessary for “coercive diplomacy” to force Iran toward negotiations over its nuclear and missile programs.
Clark noted that the early success of the air campaign against Iran now raises a key strategic question: How does Washington translate military pressure into political results?
The retired general added that the opening phase of the operation followed a familiar pattern for modern air warfare. Initial strikes are designed to penetrate defenses and dismantle critical leadership and military infrastructure.
Now, he stated, the U.S. must intensify pressure on Tehran while shaping the broader strategic environment.
“It seems to me there’s three or four things still on the table,” Clark said. “Number one is we have to continue to generate targets for the aircraft that will put more and increasing pressure on the Iranian regime.”
He also pointed to the strategic importance of maintaining oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.
“Number two, we’ve got to do something to get oil out of the Strait of Hormuz,” Clark said.
Another key element, he said, is preventing outside powers from assisting Iran during the conflict.
“Number three, we need to make sure we isolate the country, so China and Russia aren’t reinforcing and assisting,” Clark added.
The retired general said the broader goal is to force Iran’s leadership to conclude it has no viable alternative but to come to the table and negotiate.
“This is about coercive diplomacy, and you have to create the right conditions,” Clark stated.
That means convincing Tehran that continued resistance will only worsen its strategic position.
“We’ve got to create in the minds of the Iranian leaders that they really have no alternative but to come to terms, open up, surrender the nuclear stuff, give up their ballistics,” he said.
Clark warned that assistance from Moscow or Beijing would undermine that strategy.
“If the Russians are providing intelligence, that’s bad,” he said. “If the Chinese are shipping rocket fuel, we can’t let that go through.”
Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz must also be managed carefully, Clark said, stressing that there is “a ticking clock against us.”
“Right now, the Iranians are still deterred from releasing a bunch of mines and totally blocking the strait,” he added.
Tehran has also warned the United States not to strike Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal.
“Still a lot of room here for sort of implicit bargaining as we go forward, but the key is to create, in the minds of the Iranian leadership, that they have no alternative, this is inevitable,” Clark said. “And so, it’s smart to leave the ground troops option on the table.”
