Ex-CENTCOM Leader On Iran Threat - and the Mission to Kill an Iranian Commander

Ex-CENTCOM Leader On Iran Threat – and the Mission to Kill an Iranian Commander

WASHINGTON, DC: Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie testifies during a Senate Armed Services hearing on Capitol Hill March 15, 2022. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Posted: June 21st, 2024

SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Israel’s war against Hamas rages on, Israel is considering opening a new front against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and this week the Houthi militia group struck a Greek carrier that later capsized in the Red Sea. The Middle East is facing a particularly tumultuous moment, with much of the turmoil involving groups backed by Iran.

Cipher Brief expert General Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie (Ret.) was deeply familiar with these groups, these tensions, and the Iran-related threat generally during his tenure as Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) between 2019 and 2022. CENTCOM’s purview includes the Middle East and Iran, and in his new book, The Melting Point: High Command and War in the 21st Century, McKenzie writes about his direct involvement in the region, with allies and adversaries alike.

“The Cipher Brief has become the most popular outlet for former intelligence officers; no media outlet is even a close second to The Cipher Brief in terms of the number of articles published by formers.” —Sept. 2018, Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 62

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