Jack Keane warns ceasefire with Iran would 'play right into their hands' as Trump signals deal progress

Retired Gen. Jack Keane cautioned against any ceasefire with Iran, saying the U.S. must maintain military pressure to force Tehran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"If we go to ceasefire, that's playing right into their hands," the retired four-star Army general and Fox News senior strategic analyst warned Tuesday on "Hannity."

"We want to keep the pressure on them to make a deal that makes some sense, and that is the path."

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A truck carries the coffins of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij paramilitary forces, during a funeral procession in Tehran on March 18. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Keane's remarks come as President Donald Trump signals progress in negotiations with Iran while strikes continue across the region. On Monday, the president announced a five-day postponement of U.S. military strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump said Iran indicated a willingness to negotiate, emphasizing that Tehran "will never have a nuclear weapon" and claiming Iranian officials have agreed to that condition.

Keane, however, remains skeptical that the regime will comply.

"We're dealing with a regime that's pathological liars and cheaters, and they have done everything they can to deceive us in the past," he said.

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump (not pictured) host a Women's History Month celebration at the White House on Thursday, March 12, in Washington, D.C. Trump has suggested Iran has been willing to negotiate. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)

"Just prior to going into this conflict, one of the reasons why we went into it is because the Iranians were lying to us and not wanting to be forthcoming in terms of a deal."

Keane argued that any agreement must force Iran to give up capabilities the U.S. and its allies are already working to dismantle through military action.

He pointed to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile program and drone capabilities as key areas that must be fully dismantled — both current stockpiles and future production.

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Keane stressed that continued military operations provide critical leverage in negotiations, warning that a premature pause in fighting would weaken the U.S. position.

"We want to keep the pressure on them to make a deal that makes some sense," he said.