Former US Defense Minister Says Any Deal That Leaves Iranian Regime Intact Will Further Embolden It

‘Not a lot of good options’ in opening Strait of Hormuz, halting Iran attacks on Gulf states, retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis warns at Houston energy conference.

S&P Global Commodity Insights Senior Vice President Carlos Pascual (L), Brookings Institution Foreign Policy Program Director Suzanne Maloney (C), and former U.S. Defense Secretary retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis discuss the Iran war on March 23 at the 44th annual CERAWeek by S&P Global conference at the Americas Hilton-Houston. CERAWeek by S&P Global

HOUSTON—Any negotiated accommodation by Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and cease attacks on Gulf states that leaves Tehran’s repressive regime intact will be heralded as a victory by emboldened survivors and leave the vital waterway at Iran’s mercy for years, former U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned.

“If you were to declare victory and basically pull out our armada, remove the number of forces you’ve sent there, they would say, ‘We now own the strait,’” the retired Marine Corps general said at a conference on March 23.