In an October 2, 2026, appearance on Fox News, CERL Executive Board Member and U.S. Army General (Ret.) Joseph Votel discussed a possible intersection between the conflict in Iran and the attempted hijacking of a FlyDubai flight. The general also weighed in on the movement of more troops to the Middle East, noting that economic sanctions may be effective but take time, especially given the Iranian leadership’s lack of other options, and that military force there can support their implementation.
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.
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