Print
Close
Iran's 'death by 1,000 cuts' strategy backfires as US refuses 'nuclear roulette,' ex-special ops soldier says
By Max Bacall
Published March 05, 2026
A former U.S. special operations soldier told Fox News Iran's strategy of incrementally eroding its enemies' forces has become ineffective, and the United States signaled it will not engage in what he calls "nuclear roulette."
Iran’s campaign of attacks across the Middle East and beyond has hit at least 12 countries, raising concerns the regime could be intentionally prolonging the war.
"Iran's strategy has always been this death by a thousand cuts. Launch a few drones here, arm a proxy militia there, threaten shipping lanes somewhere else," Brett Velicovich said Thursday on "The Faulkner Focus."
CENTCOM SAYS 'US FORCES CONTROL THE SKIES,' RELEASES VIDEO OF FRESH STRIKES ON IRAN
Kids walk around an Iranian missile after it fell near Qamishli International Airport near the Turkish border in the Qamishli district of Hasakah, Syria, March 4, 2026, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. (Amjad Kurdo/AFP via Getty Images)
"But that strategy only works if the United States hesitates," he added, arguing that the United States has responded reservedly in the past.
"But we are done abandoning our red lines, and it's clear our leadership is no longer going to play nuclear roulette with this regime. ... We're watching the entire chessboard," he said. "We're prepared to respond wherever American interests are threatened."
A U.S. Navy ship launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in support of Operation Epic Fury. (U.S. Central Command Public Affairs)
Velicovich made his comments as U.S. forces launch precision strikes on Iranian missile infrastructure.
Rather than sending neighbors into a tailspin, Velicovich said Tehran's attempt at regional escalation has instead unified adversaries and triggered a more forceful response.
Iran has fired on Israel, Turkey, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Cyprus and Bahrain, among others.
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin said Thursday on "The Faulkner Focus" that the seemingly erratic strikes support Iran's strategy of widening the war and forcing its adversaries to burn through limited supplies of high-tech missile interceptors and raise oil prices by threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
"This is not a country defending itself anymore," Velicovich said. "It's a regime exporting chaos in every direction. It's a regime full of psychopaths that should not exist in modern society."
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The United States and Israel on Saturday launched strikes targeting Iran's leadership, including its Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran's missile arsenal and nuclear facilities were also hit in the campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes since then, with the latest wave coming one day after the United States sank an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors.
Fox News Digital's Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/irans-death-1000-cuts-strategy-backfires-us-refuses-nuclear-roulette-ex-special-ops-soldier-says