In recent appearances on various talk shows and news programs, Vice President JD Vance has indicated that military options are still on the table if Iran does not provide significant concessions to the United States. To date, a broader settlement has not been reached. CERL Executive Board Member Joseph Votel said in a panel held by the Council on Foreign Relations that while the U.S. military maintains significant flexibility and capability in the 60-day negotiation window, damage to U.S. bases in the gulf is “widespread” and “operationally relevant.”

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.