Former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland stated on Wednesday that the U.S. conflict with Iran will not escalate into another prolonged military entanglement, emphasizing President Donald Trump’s determination to avoid what he has termed “a forever war.”
During a recent broadcast, McFarland outlined the administration’s strategy for achieving swift objectives while preventing the crisis from dragging on.
“There are two reasons and two ways to do it,” she explained when asked how the United States can prevent a never-ending war.
First, McFarland stressed that the U.S. must continue degrading Iran’s military capabilities and safeguarding one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
“Continue to degrade the Iranian military,” she said. “Continue to ensure that the Iranian Navy or drones or fast boats do not disrupt passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
She noted that maintaining open access through the strait is vital to the global economy, adding: “We have to keep the Strait of Hormuz open because that’s world shipping, that’s global prices, that’s energy.”
Simultaneously, McFarland revealed that the Trump administration is engaging with potential alternative leaders within Iran’s regime.
“Who are they talking to in the Iranian regime?” she asked. “You know, the second tier of leaders; the first tier of leadership has gone.”
These discussions could involve military officials, government figures, and opposition leaders who might help stabilize the country should the current regime weaken further.
“What about the second tier of leaders in the regime, in the military and the civilian leadership? What about the opposition?” McFarland questioned.
According to McFarland, intelligence operations have provided deep insights into Iran’s power structure.
“Remember, Mossad has so thoroughly penetrated the Iranian leadership at all levels that we know who are our potential friends, who we could work with, and who we will never be able to work with,” she said.
She also highlighted that Iran’s leadership is currently disorganized, with uncertainty over who holds real authority.
“We know there’s a lot of confusion,” McFarland remarked. “I don’t think anybody is really in charge — is it the military? Is it the civilian leadership? Are the mullahs?”
McFarland suggested that Iran has shifted power to regional commanders, a development that could lead to internal defections.
“What if you start seeing defections?” she asked. “What if you start seeing a military leader in a northern province who says, ‘Well, I don’t want to be a martyr’?”
Ultimately, McFarland asserted that President Trump is committed to bringing the conflict to a swift conclusion without repeating past U.S. interventions.
“At the end of the day, President Trump is not going to have another George W. Bush war or a Barack Obama war like he had in the Arab Spring,” she said.
“We are going to win this — it’s just going to be on President Trump’s terms.”
