Former US Marine Corps member and Gulf War veteran Kenneth Nicholas O’Keefe said US sanctions have made Iran more resilient and stronger rather than weakening it. In an interview with Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, he said his military experience fundamentally changed his views on US foreign policy and the Middle East. The report was published on August 3, 2026.

O’Keefe alleged that unconditional US support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is deepening the humanitarian catastrophe and undermining Washington’s regional influence. He said Hamas and Hezbollah emerged from the realities of occupation and conflict. He also argued that the United States still clings to a unipolar world order even as the international system becomes increasingly multipolar.

According to O’Keefe, military force alone cannot eliminate an ideology or a popular movement, and diplomatic initiatives could be more effective. He said Western countries have failed to properly assess Iranian society’s cohesion and the state’s capacity to adapt. He criticized Western media for often presenting Middle Eastern realities through one-sided narratives that can help legitimize military intervention.