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America finally has a commander-in-chief willing to confront the tyranny that has threatened our seas and our allies, and retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg told Rob Schmitt that President Trump’s recent strikes were the long-overdue wake-up call Tehran needed. Conservatives should be proud that the administration is willing to use real power to protect American interests rather than recycle Clinton-era appeasement. The toughness displayed on the battlefield and in the Oval Office sent a clear message: weakness invites aggression, and strength restores order.
Kellogg was blunt on Newsmax: the Strait of Hormuz must be secured and commercial traffic must be made safe again, and he urged the administration to act with confidence and speed. He reminded viewers that we have the capability to keep that vital chokepoint open, but what’s required is the political courage to do it. For decades our adversaries counted on American timidity; now they are learning the cost of miscalculation.
The president’s decision to hit Kharg Island, Iran’s strategic oil-export hub, was not theater — it was targeted, consequential, and designed to cut the lifeline of a regime that funds terrorism across the region. Striking those military sites was a surgical move to degrade Iran’s ability to wield oil as a weapon while keeping pressure high on the mullahs. This is the kind of decisive action that separates leaders who bluff from leaders who win.
Kellogg also warned that mere strikes may not be enough and floated the uncomfortable truth many on the left refuse to consider: sustaining pressure may require political change in Tehran. If our goal is a stable Middle East that doesn’t export hatred and proxy violence, then patience with the ayatollahs is a luxury the American people cannot afford. Conservatives should support a strategy that couples military pressure with diplomatic and economic levers to compel a safer outcome for the West.
President Trump did not stop at targeting military sites; he made clear that seizing or neutralizing Iran’s ability to choke global energy markets remains on the table, and that kind of resolve reverberates around the world. Threatening to take Kharg Island and to deny Iran the means to weaponize oil is the kind of hard bargaining that protects consumers and national security alike. The alternative — allowing Tehran to dictate shipping lanes and raise prices at the pump for working Americans — is unacceptable.
Now is not the time for hand-wringing or performative investigations; it’s the time to rally our allies, secure the strait, and make clear that American resolve is not for sale. NATO and regional partners should step up to protect trade routes while the United States uses its unmatched military and intelligence advantage to finish the job. Kellogg’s message was simple and patriotic: don’t let the enemy regroup by letting up on the pressure.
Patriots know that preserving peace often requires the willingness to use force to stop those who would bring chaos, and Trump’s leadership has finally returned a measure of certainty to a volatile neighborhood. We should stand with the president and with seasoned military voices like Kellogg who understand that half-measures only invite more aggression. The choice for America is clear: back down and pay the price, or stand firm and secure a safer future for our children and our allies.
