CNN Guest Ret. Gen. Kimmitt Says Trump’s Iran Strikes ‘Saved’ American Lives, Admits He’s ‘Impressed’

President Donald Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities “saved the potential loss of American lives,” according to retired General Mark Kimmitt. He praised the operation during an interview with CNN and admitted he was both “fascinated” and “impressed” with the strategic use of deception and timing that defined the mission — calling it “much like a Trump deal.”

Speaking to Anderson Cooper on CNN, Kimmitt — former Assistant Secretary of State and retired brigadier general — offered rare praise on the network for Trump’s handling of the high-stakes operation. 

The strike, which targeted key nuclear infrastructure — including Iran’s fortified uranium enrichment site at Fordow, its primary enrichment facility at Natanz, and missile-linked assets near Esfahan — reportedly followed a brief diplomatic pause that baffled many analysts.

“I’m fascinated and, candidly, I’m impressed,” Kimmitt said. “I never really could understand what the two-week pause meant or what it was for… In many ways, it was much like a Trump deal. I mean, he’s trying to make a deal to buy an apartment, but all of a sudden the apartment was destroyed. So where’s the negotiation?”

Kimmitt continued: “I think the use of deception and trickery in this case, first of all, was successful, but second of all, it saved the potential loss of American lives.”

He also noted the facility may have been damaged but not destroyed, raising the possibility that a follow-up strike could be needed.

The matter follows President Trump’s Saturday evening announcement that the U.S. had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, as he called on Iran to seek peace.