Kellogg urges US to ‘finish the job’ against Iran as fragile ceasefire extends
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Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg (Ret.) is urging the US to “finish the job” against Iran, calling for the seizure of strategic islands, crippling its energy sector and arming rebels inside the country after a fragile peace deal was extended in an effort to keep talks alive.
“Let’s not talk anymore. Let’s just go. Let’s get the job done,” Kellogg said Tuesday on “Hannity.”
Kellogg, who previously served as a special envoy to Ukraine and Russia under the Trump administration, said Iran’s damaged leadership and economic collapse provide an opportunity to ratchet up pressure instead of pursuing negotiations.
He highlighted Iran’s “fractured” command structure as a point of weakness, saying the U.S. must compound pressure by using economic and military means to force the regime to “buckle.”
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Lt. Gen. Retired Keith Kellogg speaks during the Warsaw Security Forum in Warsaw, Poland, on September 30, 2025. (Marek Antoni Iwanczuk/NurPhoto)
“Like I said, let’s not create more problems for them and try to clear this up,” Kellogg said.
“That’s why I keep going back to capture something like Kharg Island or capture the islands in the Strait of Hormuz … with the ARGs you have there, and you have the 82nd stuff. [Airborne]. They can take Kharg Island.”
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Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 12, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)
“All of a sudden, now you’re creating trouble for them again [Iran] trying to solve it, and I don’t think they can solve it because they don’t have the leadership that can clarify this.”
Kellogg’s comments came as the United States extended a deal to end hostilities with Iran after failing to secure a quick deal, with negotiators seeking more time for negotiations.
Kellogg, however, dismissed the importance of further talks, saying that continued pressure is essential to bringing the conflict to an end.
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“We have finished, the president gave them enough opportunity,” he said.
“It was very kind, trying to talk about it. Now let’s get it over with, and I think we can get it over with. We can strangle them economically. We do that by blocking. Let’s compound the problem.”
Kellogg said the US should increase pressure by targeting Iran’s oil industry instead of infrastructure that mainly affects civilians, in order to further weaken the regime’s ability to sustain itself.
He stated that arming Iranian civilians is “a good idea,” but noted that any such effort must involve US special forces providing weapons, training and support to help build an organized terrorist campaign.
