Military experts issue dark warning about path forward after new strikes: 'Last turn'

A military expert is warning about the path ahead for the U.S. as it begins new strikes on Iran.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said during a Tuesday appearance on CNN that the U.S. "launched pretty significant strikes here," and cautioned, "This is the last turn before the tunnel for the Iranians in terms of Trump's patience."

Stavridis suggested that the strikes came after the Trump administration "just got tired" of Iranian attacks on merchant shipping, which must have been "a bridge too far." He described the Trump administration's retaliation as "a pretty strong set of strikes for this stage" in negotiations for a ceasefire, but Stavridis held out hope.

"Let's hope the Iranians kind of get the signal here and stand down from striking merchant shipping," Stavridis said. "Bottom line, the ceasefire can still be salvaged."

However, Stavridis described the ceasefire as being on "life support."

Former GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger, who appeared on CNN alongside Stavridis, agreed with Stavridis, even though "this has kind of been the way from the first so-called ceasefire." Kinzinger argued the first ceasefire only gave the U.S. time to negotiate the memorandum of understanding that was meant to stop hostilities.

"Now, the Trump administration has a decision to make," Kinzinger said. "And that decision is simply, you have to basically escalate to try to compel some answer or some negotiation that actually works out, or do you just walk away and give Iran the Strait [of Hormuz]? Basically walk away from the nuclear material?"