Iran regime at its ‘weakest point’ in 45 years as protests continue, Keane warns
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Retired Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News senior strategic analyst, offered a sobering assessment of the Iranian regime’s situation during its crackdown on anti-government protests and hints at what might happen next in a “Special Report” released Friday.
“If I were in the Iranian regime, I would take President Trump extremely seriously here,” Keane warned.
On Friday, President Donald Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that the United States would be “locked, primed, and ready to go” if the Iranian regime shot and killed protesters.
His message comes as anti-regime demonstrations enter their second week and at least 44 protesters have been killed by Iranian security, according to Iran’s National Council of Resistance.
IRAN PROTESTS, WE WANT TRUMP’S NEW WARNING ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT’S DEADLY PRESSURE
Keane said the Iranian regime was at its “weakest point” in 45 years and had “no prospect of recovery”.
He drew attention to Trump’s “no unambiguous conditions” warning,” Keane He listed other key differences regarding anti-regime protests that stand out from previous demonstrations in Iran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was photographed sitting next to a senior military officer in Iran. (Getty Images)
“Politically, [the Iranian regime] It cannot meet the social, political and economic demands of the people. “Economically they are absolutely in the tank and have no chance of recovery,” Keane added.
THREAT OF PREVENTIVE ATTACK AFTER IRANIAN MILITARY LEADER TRUMP’S COMMENTS
“They also lost a war militarily. They lost their platform in Syria. Of course, their proxies were decapitated and almost destroyed,” he continued. “As a result of all this, they are in a fundamentally weak position, and this is serious for the regime.”
The retired US Army general attributed his assessment of the Iranian regime to civilian protests.
Anti-Iran regime protests are growing across the country, with the Trump administration backing demonstrators offering support. (Alex Brandon/AP; Fars News Agency via AP)
“And when you have that, it also breeds discontent and breaks down trust and unity because people start to fear for their own survival,” he explained.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER BLAMES TRUMP FOR THE INCREASINGLY INTENSE DEMONSTRATIONS
When Fox News host Bret Baier asked Keane what he thought about the possibility of the United States or Israel soon holding “some kind of strike” in support of anti-regime protesters, he didn’t have a definitive answer.
“I think I would take the president seriously,” he replied. “I have no idea what they’re thinking, but I’m listening to what they say. And he’s dead serious.”
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Doubling down on his claim, Keane appeared to be referring to the US military’s destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities in 2025.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran on January 24, 2025. (Maxar Technologies/AP)
“Given the past year, at this point anyone who doesn’t take President Trump seriously when he says something like this is absolutely reckless and irresponsible,” he stressed.
