Ex-NATO commander's critique of Trump's military campaign in Iran
A retired NATO commander has delivered a blistering critique of President Donald Trump's military campaign in Iran, warning that the escalating conflict has exposed a stark gap between impressive battlefield performance and what he calls a dangerously muddled strategy.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, retired Canadian Major-General David Fraser praised the professionalism of American troops carrying out complex strikes across the Middle East.
But the decorated veteran – who commanded US and allied forces during the war in Afghanistan in the 2000s – said the broader war effort appears built on shaky foundations. According to Fraser, the offensive, launched without a clear endgame, has left allies wondering what exactly Washington expects from them.
'Trump's got himself into a bit of a pickle,' he said bluntly.
'The political superstructure over this operation is unclear as anything I've ever seen.'
War enters third week
His comments come as the US-Israeli war against Iran enters its third week with no obvious path to peace.
More than 2,000 people have been killed so far – most of them in Iran and neighboring Lebanon – as missiles, drones and airstrikes batter cities and military installations across the region. Thirteen US service members have been killed, and 200 more injured.
What began on February 28 as a lightning offensive meant to cripple Iran's military machine has instead morphed into a grinding contest of endurance that is shaking global energy markets and testing America's alliances.
Fraser said the Trump administration appears to have gambled on a short, decisive conflict – and badly underestimated Tehran's capacity to absorb punishment and keep fighting.
Rather than collapsing after the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in February airstrikes, Iranian forces have rallied and continued to strike back.
Iran's response swift and disruptive
'Iran seems to have gotten a bit of a second wind,' Fraser said.
Although many Iranian military assets have been degraded, he noted the country's command structure remains intact and capable of coordinating retaliatory strikes. That alone, Fraser warned, is enough to create a powerful strategic effect.
'Just the threat of biting back provides a strategic effect for Iran,' he said.
Iran's response has been swift and disruptive. Missile and drone attacks have targeted US bases, Israeli cities, and oil infrastructure and airports in Dubai and other targets across the Gulf, throwing shipping lanes through the critical Strait of Hormuz into chaos.
The narrow waterway – through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil normally flows – has seen tanker traffic collapse amid fears of strikes and naval attacks.
Oil prices have surged above $100 a barrel, triggering economic shockwaves that analysts say could rival the turmoil of the 1970s energy crisis.
Nations weighing their own interests, says Fraser
Washington now finds itself scrambling to reopen the strait. Trump has urged a group of countries – including China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain – to contribute naval forces to a multinational escort mission to protect oil tankers.
The president argues that nations dependent on Middle Eastern crude should help safeguard the vital waterway. NATO could face a 'very bad' future if allies do not help secure the strait, Trump warned.
But Fraser said that appeal has so far met with hesitation. According to the retired general, many governments are reluctant because they still do not understand Washington's broader objectives in the war.
'Trump's ability to bully the world has actually come to an end,' Fraser said.
Instead, he said, countries are carefully weighing their own national interests – and deciding whether involvement in the conflict makes sense for them. The blunt pressure tactics used by Washington have only deepened skepticism, he added.
'It's not a NATO fight at all,' Fraser said. 'NATO has got nothing to do with the region.'
Fraser says invoking NATO is misguided
He argued that invoking the Western military alliance is strategically misguided, because the conflict does not fall under NATO's collective defense obligations.
Instead, Fraser believes Washington should be building a coalition based on economic interests – particularly among countries that rely heavily on Gulf oil shipments.
Threatening allies with consequences if they refuse to join, he said, risks alienating them at the very moment cooperation is most needed.
Domestically, the conflict is also proving politically fraught for Trump. Polls show Americans increasingly divided over the war as gasoline prices climb to $3.70 a gallon and financial markets wobble.
Meanwhile, US and Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Iranian military targets, including facilities linked to the country's vital oil infrastructure.
Among them is Kharg Island, a strategic hub where much of Iran's crude exports pass through pipelines before being loaded onto tankers.
Fraser says US deployment suggests more aggressive options may be under consideration
Fraser said Washington's deployment of roughly 2,500 US Marines to the region suggests the administration may be considering more aggressive options.
One possibility is seizing or securing key strategic locations such as Kharg Island or sensitive nuclear materials. But such operations would carry enormous risk.
Any force landing there would have to defend itself against missiles, drones and Iranian air defenses – all while operating in one of the world's most volatile maritime corridors.
'Nothing about this region is easy,' Fraser warned.
Even moving troops into the area would require navigating the heavily contested waters of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries a fifth of global oil supplies.
The shifting tactics suggest to Fraser that the original operational blueprint has already begun to change – a sign that the conflict is unfolding very differently than planners expected.
Fraser believes war can only end through diplomacy
For now, he predicts the war will likely settle into a grim pattern of tit-for-tat attacks, with drones and missiles flying in both directions but no decisive breakthrough.
Meanwhile, diplomatic tensions between Washington and its allies could deepen if pressure to join the conflict continues.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has condemned the war as 'illegal' and said Iran will continue defending itself.
In Fraser's view, that reality points to a hard truth: military power alone will not resolve the crisis. Ultimately, he believes the war can end only through diplomacy between Washington and Tehran.
Until that happens, the conflict risks dragging on indefinitely – with global energy markets in turmoil and America's alliances under growing strain.
'The only way you're going to solve this,' Fraser said, 'is through diplomatic means to end the war.'
