NPR’s Michel Martin asks retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, a former Navy commander within the Center East, concerning the U.S. navy buildup close to Iran.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
We needed to take a better take a look at the place this buildup could possibly be heading, so we have referred to as retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan. He is a former commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet within the Center East. Between 2015 2017, he led groups of U.S. and allied forces that deliberate and executed fight operations in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, and he is with us now. Admiral, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us.
KEVIN DONEGAN: Good morning, Michel. Thanks. Nice to be right here.
MARTIN: In order our colleague Greg Myre simply mentioned, this buildup relies on Navy belongings and fighter jets, totally on plane carriers. What does that inform you by way of what any attainable navy motion is likely to be focusing on and attempting to realize?
DONEGAN: Effectively, I feel there’s one certainty that we all know, and the knowledge is that the president is attempting so as to add strain for the Iranians to barter in good religion. That we will most likely all agree on. And so as to add that strain, you want a power in place that is able to the proper dimension, and, additionally, you need to articulate a will to make use of it. So I feel that is been there. What we do not know, as you simply heard, actually, is we do not know what missions the president has informed the Central Command commander to be able to execute, so to talk. So these can vary from one thing that lasts a brief time frame to an extended time frame. However when you take a look at what the nuclear – I imply, what the negotiations are about now, it is about nuclear enrichment. It is about ballistic missiles that Iran has, and it is also about the usage of their militia. So you’ll most likely count on that it might be one thing that will get at these sorts of issues.
MARTIN: So is it attainable that this buildup may have the other impact, that it may truly strain and truly kind of incite Iran additional?
DONEGAN: I feel that the buildup – you understand, taking a look at it by means of the Iranian eyes, what do they see once they look out the window now’s that you just – that the power that is there may be succesful, and so they know what it might do as a result of they noticed how American belongings and weapons carried out earlier than. I feel they perceive that. And every time prior to now the Iranians have been put able like this, they’ve tended to barter, relatively than go power on power.
MARTIN: Effectively, you understand the nation’s supreme chief has talked of – I imply, as this buildup has been continuing, the nation’s supreme chief, Ali Khamenei, has talked of sinking U.S. warships. Is their navy able to doing that?
DONEGAN: Effectively, you hear the Iranians and the supreme chief saying this – what we might count on them to say proper now, that they are going to assault in nice power, that they are going to sink, you understand, U.S. ships, that they are going to affect and assault U.S. services within the area. They mentioned that final time earlier than the strike on Fordo. And final time, although, they struck again in – with – nearly telegraphed what they had been going to do. I might count on this time, if they’re attacked, that they would not do this, and they might attempt to use these hundreds of missiles they should get at U.S. forces. However as you understand, a part of what’s been put in place has been a defensive forces for simply – not simply us, however for us and our allies. And a part of any offensive operation we might do can be targeted on blunting any type of retaliation the Iranians may do.
MARTIN: Effectively, you understand, the administration has kind of floated the thought of regime change. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. wanted to ship in floor troops to do this. I feel most Individuals do not forget that. Iran is a much bigger nation with a a lot larger navy. So what can the U.S. realistically accomplish?
DONEGAN: Effectively, with regards to regime change, I agree with what we simply heard. It – that is at all times – there’s – no person’s going to have a crystal ball on what the top results of any type of regime change might be, whether or not that is the elimination of the supreme chief or such. What we do know is that Iran – if the supreme chief might be eliminated, that is not essentially going to vary these which are controlling the nation. So what we do not know is what their response can be. If the supreme chief wasn’t there or some parts of his management wasn’t there, is that go to vary the path that they are heading?
MARTIN: Earlier than we allow you to go – 30 seconds left right here – if President Trump does determine to strike Iran and Iran strikes again, do you suppose that might unleash a wider conflict?
DONEGAN: I feel what we might see just isn’t essentially a wider conflict. However when Iran strikes again, relying on what it hit, may then additional escalate the actions that the U.S. was going to take to reply to that. So that might shuttle for a pair iterations. How lengthy that goes and the way deep is admittedly going to be depending on the occasions as they unfold.
MARTIN: That’s retired Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, former commander of the Mixed Maritime Forces within the Center East. Admiral, thanks a lot for becoming a member of us and sharing these insights.
DONEGAN: Thanks, Michel.
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