Top General Warns Iran Lacks the Muscle to Survive Trump’s Siege
Retired Pakistani Lt. Gen. Muhammad Saeed tells the New York Post that Iran lacks the "compatible military means" to sustain a conflict against the U.S. and Israel. As Operation Epic Fury chokes the Iranian economy, Saeed predicts Tehran will be forced to accept a "take it or leave it" deal.
A retired Pakistani lieutenant general with deep regional insight has told the New York Post that Iran simply “does not have the military means” to keep up its confrontation with the United States and Israel.
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Muhammad Saeed, who spoke exclusively to the Post in Islamabad on Monday, assessed that while Tehran may continue firing drones and missiles in the short term, it lacks “compatible military means” and “cost-effective military options” to match American and Israeli capabilities.
“While they would keep firing drones and missiles for a few more days, they don’t have compatible military means,” Saeed said. “This may prove totally wrong, but it’s my assumption that whatever option has been given to them as ‘Take it or leave it,’ they will come back on it.”
The comments come as U.S.-Iran peace talks hosted in Pakistan over the weekend ended without a breakthrough. The negotiations followed President Trump’s imposition of a naval blockade on Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz as part of Operation Epic Fury, part of the broader U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran that began on February 28, 2026.
Saeed pointed to Iran’s collapsing economy as a decisive factor, noting the “economic hardships their people are facing… the level of inflation… how terribly their own currency is [devalued].”
U.S. officials have described the blockade as a pressure tactic designed to force Iran back to the negotiating table, particularly over its nuclear program. Trump has publicly stated that Tehran “would like to work” on a deal.
The former Pakistani general’s assessment is not an official position of Pakistan’s government, but it carries weight given Islamabad’s longstanding ties in the region and its role in hosting the recent talks.