Retired US military leaders support letting Israel 'finish the job' against Iran, proxies

The letter, which was issued just hours ahead of President Trump's address to a joint session of Congress, asserts that a nuclear Iran would be a threat to U.S. national security. They warn that there is not much more time to stop Iran's "march to the bomb," and say the Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to "cross the nuclear threshold."

"What Israel seeks from the United States is support to ensure the maximum effectiveness of its actions and manage the risk of Iranian retaliation. We should provide it expeditiously," the letter says.

The former leaders say that they do not take military action lightly and that diplomacy would be "preferable," but they doubt that Iran will participate in the talks in good faith.

The retired generals and admirals are calling on the U.S. to provide Israel with munitions, weapons systems and "support needed to ensure the effectiveness of its operations against this common threat." They assert that by supporting Israel in its fight against a nuclear Iran, the U.S. would be protecting its own influence in the region.

During a recent trip to Israel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Iran "the single greatest source of instability" in the Middle East. He added that the Islamic Republic is "behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence."

Rubio went on to say that "there can never be a nuclear Iran - a nuclear Iran that could then hold itself immune from pressure and from action. That can never happen."

While the theme of President Trump's speech Tuesday night is "Renewal of the American Dream," he is still expected to speak about domestic and foreign issues - one of which could be the threat of a nuclear Iran.

On Feb. 4, President Trump signed a national security memorandum declaring the return of maximum pressure on the Iranian regime and vowing to block any and all paths to a nuclear weapon.

"Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terror and has aided Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, the Taliban, al-Qa'ida, and other terrorist networks," the memorandum reads.

In the memorandum, President Trump also says, "Iran bears responsibility for the horrific Hamas massacres committed on October 7, 2023."

Tonight, there will be someone in the audience of the joint address who experienced the brutality of an Iran-funded terror group firsthand. Former Hamas hostage Noa Argamani, who was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces in June, will attend as a guest of House Speaker Mike Johnson.