Ex-CENTCOM chief: Care must be taken not to create even worse regime in Iran

16 January 2026, 8:41 pm

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US Army Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 21, 2024. (US Department of Defense/EJ Hersom via AP)

Former CENTCOM chief Michael Erik Kurilla says that if the Iranian regime were to fall or be taken down, care would need to be taken not to “create something even worse.”

Kurilla tells the Israeli American Council (IAC) National Summit in Florida that military action alone will not be enough to “deliver the goods” and that it needs to be joint action by the military, political, diplomatic and economic wings of government.

“It needs to be the whole of government and candidly, it needs to be an international effort,” he says.

Kurilla’s tenure as CENTCOM chief, which ended in August, saw intense cooperation with Israel, including action against Iran.