Gen. Flynn May 18, 2026 (truth social link in comments)

Breaking IRAN: Declare Victory and Come Home!

The freedom fighters inside of Iran must step up to settle the internal situation themselves. That has become painfully obvious and more clear by the day.

Whatever, however, and whomever influenced the decision to go back into Iran after the summer of 2025 “decimation” of Iran’s nuclear program during the “12 day war” is water under the bridge.

It is now high time for America to extract ourselves from this very messy situation.

Below are **three ideas and I’m certain all are being considered (but just in case).**My objective for laying these out is because of my concern that U.S. prestige globally may further diminish and U.S. economic strength will eventually end up at a breaking point. Prestige and economic health are two conditions that all great empires found at risk toward the end.

For those not following me previously, I’ve addressed the rise and fall of empires and in the waning stages, there are certain indicators and warnings that, when unheeded, move nation states past that moment of return. It is tough to put one’s finger on it, but for those observers of history, they do exist and must be considered.

1. Declare victory based on achieved military objectives and transition to a formal, monitored, and regionally supported ceasefire with some type of phased sanctions relief based on conditions the Iranian regime meets.

2. Leverage multilateral diplomacy and regional alliances for a broader security framework, offloading the direct burden the U.S. is currently maintaining. May or may not fit, but serious consideration must be given to determining if the Abraham Accords can be applied as a foundational component of this framework.

3. Unilaterally de-escalate with clearly defined, observable, and credible red lines, matched by a sustained deterrence posture but stay just short of active combat. This is easier said than done.

Fact is, none of these are easy, all come with complications but the American people’s sentiment is turning and as the summer approaches, sustaining the current posture will only work against the administration’s desire to follow through on many of the things that matter to every day Americans (ie., the cost of everything).

I’ll develop my thinking further but for now, as we enter this important week of Memorial Day observances, I am compelled to remind myself of the difficulties and the consequences that WAR has on our nation.

All said, a full extraction is complicated by Iran’s proxy networks, the ambiguous nature of their nuclear desires and their own uncertain internal political situation.

Any deal requires observable and verifiable compliance to avoid charges of appeasement by the NEOCONs.

Prestige loss is minimized by speed, clear communication of what success looks like, and avoiding open-ended commitments.

Economic self-interest (oil prices, global ripple effects, cost of everything) along with ally pressure favor swift resolution over any form of attrition warfare.

The current but very fragile ceasefire provides an opportunity window but any delays risk further escalation along with higher costs.

Now is that moment to accept reality and find an exit. As I’ve said many times, you may not want war but war wants you and this current situation is precisely what I mean. Once you get sucked into the war vortex and those around you are saying we can win with just one more of this or a little more of that, are not facing the reality of the consequences of more war nor the sentiment of the American people. Neither of these are positive.

God Bless our Troops, especially those deployed in harm’s way.