Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he believes Operation Epic Fury was “a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield.” On ABC News, CERL Executive Board Member General Joseph Votel shares his thoughts on the state of the conflict and what might come next, discussing the importance of diplomacy in the coming weeks, the clear efficacy of the United States armed forces thus far in the conflict, and the difficulty posed by any potential operation to forcibly retrieve Iran’s stock of nuclear material.  

General Joseph L. Votel, U.S. Army (Ret.), is the former Commander of the U.S. Central Command. He is a Distinguished Military Fellow at the Middle East Institute and a member of the CERL Executive Board. Read his bio here. 

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.