Keane warns Iran’s leadership to take Trump ‘at his word’ as military assets move into region

Retired Gen. Jack Keane said Iran’s leadership should take President Donald Trump “at his word,” arguing that the administration’s threat to hold the regime to account for violence against its own people remains in place as the U.S. moves military assets into the region.

Keane pushed back on the idea that the White House had softened its stance toward Tehran or might be trying to mislead Iran, saying Trump has been clear about his intent.

“I believe the president at his word. He intends to hold the regime accountable for what they have done,” Keane said on “The Sunday Briefing.”

Ret. Gen. Jack Keane warned that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei should take President Donald Trump “at his word” regarding possible U.S. action against the regime, as thousands of protesters have been killed or arrested. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The U.S.-based Iranian Human Rights Activists News Agency estimates that more than 3,000 people were killed over roughly three weeks of unrest, though other reports put the death toll higher. Many thousands more have been arrested.

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“Certainly, the regime should take him at his word. They’ve completely disregarded it, obviously,” Keane said, adding that Iran’s “bloodbath” was not over.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sits next to the Iranian flag during an official address in Tehran, Iran. (Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran via Getty Images)

He claimed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had brought in militias from other countries such as Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan to patrol the streets with loudspeakers and machine guns to suppress dissent.

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Trump has not yet taken action, Keane said, because the U.S. is still positioning assets and assessing how Iran might retaliate. He suggested American military bases and Israel were in danger of finding themselves in Iran’s crosshairs.

“What likely it means — I’m just speculating — is we’ve expanded the targets to ballistic missiles, which would do damage to us as well as to the Israelis. [We must] make certain that we have all the assets in the region to be able to accomplish that.”

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He said Trump has been explicit about his intentions and should not be underestimated.

“That threat is still on the table.”

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.