Trump Ally Predicts Total Disaster for U.S. if War Escalates

A key ally of Donald Trump predicts that there will be no peaceful resolution to the conflict with Iran, warning that Americans could soon witness images of completely destroyed U.S. vessels if the administration decides to deploy ground troops.

Against this backdrop, Erik Prince—a major Republican donor, former Navy SEAL officer, and founder of the private security firm Blackwater—stated that he had advised the administration, “in the strongest possible terms,” ​​not to get involved in this conflict in the first place. He did so fully aware that such a move would be deadly for the troops, financially costly for the military apparatus, and fraught with major political pitfalls as the midterm elections approached.

Today, however—as the conflict appears to be trending toward escalation—Prince (described within “MAGA” circles as a “top-tier military strategist”) expresses his “deep” concern regarding what might happen next. Speaking during a panel discussion held Friday evening as part of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Texas, Prince painted a grim picture of the future.

“I do not share the administration’s optimism regarding a peaceful outcome to this conflict,” asserted Prince, who frequently serves as an informal advisor to senior Trump administration officials and maintains close ties with the White House, the Pentagon, and the State Department.

He added: “They are going to set everything ablaze. My real fear is that if they attempt to deploy ground forces to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz by force, you will see—within two weeks—images of American warships on fire. And I do not believe people are truly prepared to see such images.” »

Prince continued: “For the past two years, the U.S. military has attempted to pummel the Houthi group with overwhelming firepower; it has also sought to secure shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—yet these attempts have ended in failure.” The Bab el-Mandeb Strait constitutes another vital shipping lane, holding major strategic importance.

Referring to the Iranian armed forces, Prince asked: “Do we truly imagine that we can impose our will by force upon the Iranian Revolutionary Guards—an entity that has been preparing for precisely this moment for 46 years?” He concluded by saying: “I am extremely worried.”

Prince’s remarks come as the Pentagon prepares for weeks of ground operations in Iran, with thousands of U.S. soldiers and Marines streaming into the Middle East—a development that could tip the conflict into a dangerous new phase.

Despite Mr. Trump’s repeated assertions that the United States has effectively neutralized Iran’s military capabilities, the latter has continued, in recent days, to strike Israel as well as U.S. allies in the Gulf; in doing so, it demonstrates that it remains actively engaged in the fight and possesses sufficient missiles and drones to continue destabilizing the region.

Prince emphasized that Iran comprises 31 military districts, each placed under the command of officers tasked with waging war against the United States.

He asserted that the only individual capable of overturning this order is the country’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who “understands the significance of a blood oath” and has vowed revenge after “we killed his father, his wife, his sister, and other members of his family.”

Amid growing fears of armed conflict, Prince’s statements are gaining significance in the eyes of Mr. Trump’s supporters, given the extensive experience he acquired within the President’s inner circle.

This military contractor first rose to prominence during the Iraq War, when his private security firm, Blackwater, sparked international outrage following a deadly 2007 shooting that claimed the lives of Iraqi civilians.

His sister, Betsy DeVos, served as Secretary of Education in President Trump’s first administration, and their family has provided consistent financial support to the Republican Party for many years.

Furthermore, Pete Hegseth—a former co-host of the program Fox & Friends—regularly offered the American businessman a platform to express his views on his show, doing so prior to his own nomination as Secretary of Defense. It is also worth noting that Prince played a behind-the-scenes role, lending his personal support to his fellow veteran, Tulsi Gabbard, during her confirmation hearing for the position of Director of National Intelligence within the Trump administration.

More recently, Prince was part of a group of senior executives from private defense firms who submitted a proposal to the Trump White House to privatize the mass deportation of immigrants.

When asked at the CPAC conference what message he wished to convey to the American people, Prince replied: “Beware of the dangers of entangled foreign alliances, and beware of the influence of foreign governments as well as their impact on the decision-making process.”

Trump’s decisions to side with Israel in its long-standing conflict with Iran cast a heavy shadow over this year’s CPAC conference.

Amidst the divisions that have emerged within the “MAGA” base (Trump’s supporters) regarding this conflict, the President was conspicuously absent from the conference for the first time in nearly a decade; the White House attributed this absence to a packed schedule and the evolving situation surrounding the conflict in the Middle East.

Nevertheless, Trump—who typically delivers the conference’s keynote address on Saturday—spent the majority of the weekend playing golf in Palm Beach and attending fundraising events at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Meanwhile, Iran was quick to mock the U.S. President and his handling of the conflict.

In a video message circulated on social media, a spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards stated: “One moment we see him speaking of negotiations, and barely a few moments later, he decides to change course and plunge into war.”

The spokesperson added: “This erratic and deceitful individual has caused grave harm to the peoples of the United States, Europe, and numerous other nations across the globe—particularly those in the West Asia region.”