The Hugh Hewitt Show: Highly Concentrated A comprehensive walkthrough of Trump's Iran options
16 snips
Jan 29, 2026 
Adm. Mark Montgomery, retired Navy rear admiral and military strategist; Danielle Pletka, AEI foreign policy analyst; Josh Kraushaar, political journalist; Matt Sharpstein, redistricting editor; Tom Weiler, former Navy officer and Senate candidate. They debate Iran military options, force posture and basing risks. Conversations cover targeting oil infrastructure, sustained strike campaigns, cyber and assassination threats, timing and political signals.
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Baseline Threat To U.S. Forces
- The U.S. must posture forces to defend thousands of personnel across the Middle East from Iranian UAVs and short-range ballistic missiles.
- Marco Rubio stresses preemptive defensive options to prevent attacks on U.S. troops and allies.
Assets Are Positioned; Decision Looms
- Danielle Pletka says the administration has brought a carrier strike group and additional assets into the region to create military options.
- She believes the decision point is now a go/no-go on kinetic action against Iran.
Iranian Opposition Is Closer Than Before
- Revolutionary moments in Iran are historically unpredictable, but recent widespread protests showed the regime's vulnerability and internal splits.
- Danielle Pletka says this is the closest opposition forces have come to toppling the regime in 47 years.
