New Delhi, March 9: Jake Sullivan, the former US National Security Advisor, has expressed concerns regarding the Trump administration’s military strategy in Iran. While he acknowledged the tactical successes of American military operations, he warned that the war could drift without a clear strategic objective.
In an interview on CNN’s Fareed Zakaria GPS, Sullivan praised the operational performance of the US military. However, he raised questions about the clarity of the war’s ultimate goals. “The good news is that the US military is simply outstanding. They excel in achieving tactical objectives with skill, professionalism, and courage,” he stated.
Yet, he cautioned that the strategic purpose of the war remains ambiguous. “It is disappointing that we are asking our military to put themselves at risk, and we have already lost six service members, which clearly indicates a lack of purpose,” Sullivan added.
He pointed out that the government has provided multiple reasons for the war without clearly stating its final objectives. “The administration has not been able to articulate what the ultimate goal of this war is. Officials have given perhaps a dozen different reasons, which change every hour. This confusion is a significant challenge, indicating that this conflict was initiated without thorough consideration,” he noted.
Sullivan also questioned whether the Trump administration learned the wrong lessons from previous US operations in Venezuela. He remarked, “President Trump may take the wrong lesson from this. He might believe that we can use military force anywhere, anytime, for any purpose, and everything will be fine.”
He warned that the unintended geopolitical consequences of this war could benefit Russia. “Russia is an adversary of the US. They are reportedly providing intelligence to help Iran locate where American service members are present,” he explained.
Sullivan emphasized that Russia could gain both funding and strategic advantages from this conflict. “One of the biggest winners in all of this could be Vladimir Putin and Russia,” he stated, while also highlighting the rising oil prices and the depletion of American military resources available for Ukraine.
He argued that the decision to initiate a war in the Middle East has weakened Ukraine’s defensive position against Russia. “At a crucial moment for negotiations, when President Trump could have provided significant support to Ukraine, he instead opted to launch this major military operation in the Middle East,” he said.
Sullivan further warned that this war could set dangerous geopolitical precedents. “I believe they are taking two major lessons from this. The significant strategic lesson is that we are entering a new era of geopolitics, where major powers can operate with force without any reference to international law,” he remarked.
He concluded by suggesting that this situation could embolden China to use military force against Taiwan.
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