American General's Concerns about Iran's Growing Influence and Declining International Support for Israel
General Kenneth McKenzie, the former commander of US forces in West Asia (the Middle East), warned in a published article about Iran's growing influence while global support for Israel wanes.
McKenzie was the chief of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) from 2019 to 2022. In an article in The Atlantic magazine, he described the operation that led to the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC Quds Force.
McKenzie wrote in the note's introduction: "Any assessment I make of the future of the Middle East must take into account an uncomfortable reality: Iran is committed to goals that threaten both the region and American interests."
He expressed concern that the reduction of American military capabilities in the region had allowed Iran to "embolden" and warned that this was happening at a time when international support for Israel was waning.
According to McKenzie, "US military capabilities in the Middle East region are constantly declining, and this is emboldening Iran, whose influence is growing at a time when international support for Israel is declining."
Elsewhere in the note, McKenzie argues that the killing of General Soleimani in 2020 shows that “Iran only respects strength and exploits weakness.”
He published this note on the occasion of the publication of his new book, Melting Point, which will soon be published in Atlantic magazine.
Referring to Iran's recent missile and drone attack on Israel, McKenzie writes: "The continued presence of the United States in the region is necessary to prevent further belligerence by rogue states like Iran."
During the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani, he headed the US Army Center and in his note he tries to justify this operation.
