Retired Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer stated on Thursday that the United States must exercise extreme caution before considering any potential follow-on strike against Iran, emphasizing future military actions should target elements of Iran’s ruling theocracy without harming its population.
A “follow-on strike” refers to a subsequent military attack often occurring shortly after an initial operation, sometimes targeting survivors or reinforcing damage—similar to recent U.S. actions against suspected drug vessels where second strikes hit boats with occupants still alive, raising legal and ethical concerns.
Shaffer, who serves as the president of Project Sentinel, clarified that additional U.S. military action against Iran would depend heavily on specific targets and broader strategic objectives, particularly amid escalating tensions and public unrest within Iran.
During an appearance on “The Chris Salcedo Show,” Shaffer addressed questions about potential strikes if hostilities escalate. He noted: “Well, it depends on what the target is. There are a number of things that we could be helpful with. One of those things, obviously, is the unrest in the street. We want to make it very clear, we’re against the mullahs and theocracy, not the people of Iran.”
Shaffer added: “Persians right now are potentially on the road to being free. So what we want to do is hit things which would help them rise up against the government. There’s no nuclear sites at this point. There’s some missiles, some rockets that are actually sanctioned by the UN that we could take out.”
He cautioned: “At this point, I think we’d have to be very careful in contemplating any follow-on strike regarding the targeting.”
Shaffer’s comments followed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s warning about a severe response to U.S. military action. Pezeshkian stated that Iran would respond to “cruel aggression” with “harsh and discouraging” measures, following remarks by former President Donald Trump during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
Trump had previously remarked: “Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again… And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them.”
