Decorated general links Trump Iran strikes to historic bombing blitz that forced Vietnam peace pact

A decorated former general compared President Donald Trump's high-stakes standoff with Iran to the historic military blitz that helped bring North Vietnam back to peace talks and end America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Speaking on "Hannity," Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg argued Trump’s latest use of "kinetic strikes" and heavy threats brought Iran back to the negotiating table this week.

"The bombing that he took, the kinetic strikes, actually brought the Iranians to the table. It's not the first time we've ever done that," Kellogg said Friday.

He compared Trump’s move to President Richard Nixon’s 1972 "Linebacker II" bombing campaign, which helped break a stalemate in peace negotiations.

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President Richard Nixon posed in his White House office after publicly outlining a U.S. peace proposal calling for simultaneous troop withdrawals from Vietnam, the release of prisoners of war and the resignation of South Vietnamese President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu ahead of new elections. (Bettmann/Getty Images)

"If you go back to 1972, we saw the same thing happen with President Nixon and Kissinger when the North Vietnamese were just delaying the peace talks," Kellogg said. "Well, he unleashed what was called Linebacker II. He put B-52 bombers over Hanoi and Haiphong and basically bombed them back to the table."

The Linebacker II operation was used to force North Vietnam back into serious peace negotiations and lasted for nearly two weeks as B-52s attacked military targets around Christmas.

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Earlier this week, the U.S. carried out a series of attacks inside Iran in retaliation for Iran shooting down an American Apache helicopter. On Thursday, Trump said he canceled plans for further strikes, citing progress toward a potential peace deal.

Kellogg said the strategy unfolding with Iran mirrors the Nixon-era strikes, adding, "You're seeing the same thing here." 

Trump is "very, very determined to get a result," he continued.

President Donald Trump spoke during a proclamation signing in the Oval Office of the White House on June 11, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The remarks came after Trump pulled back threatened military strikes against Iran following escalating tensions between the two countries. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He also said Trump’s objective is to dismantle Tehran’s nuclear weapons program, noting Iran has been rapidly accelerating uranium enrichment to "60%, 70%, 80%" capacity.

"You're not doing that for domestic purposes," Kellogg warned of Iran's enrichment levels, adding that stopping the nuclear program "will change the dynamics of the Middle East for decades to come."

"I'm just shocked, absolutely shocked, that a lot of Americans don't see this. It's not for our generation. This is a generation of our kids and our grandkids as well. And we've got to ensure that we have peace in the Middle East," he added.

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On Saturday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a U.S.-Iran peace deal is likely to be finalized within the next 24 hours, a message Trump later reposted on Truth Social. Pakistan has served as a key mediator in U.S.-Iran negotiations to end the war.

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"We are closer to a peace deal than ever before. With finalization likely expected in the next 24 hours, Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the peace deal immediately after, followed by technical-level talks next week," Sharif wrote on X.

"We would like to thank [the] United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran for their ongoing commitment during the negotiations, and we extend our sincere appreciation to our brothers in the region for their support," Sharif added. 

"We are confident that this historic peace deal will form a strong foundation for lasting peace." 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond contributed to this report.