Pollack offered as his “last option,” should earlier “grand bargain” and “carrot and stick” approaches fail, a direct airstrike. In his words: “Finally, and only as part of a new containment of Iran, the United States should look hard at the possibility of waging a targeted air campaign intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities and intended to set back the entire program.” That should come, he says, only after US policy-makers determine Iran is “truly nefarious.” Pollack wants the President to have that “arrow in his quiver,” but he believes diplomacy and sanctions will suffice.
The Air Force is requesting about $141 million for initial enlistment bonuses in its fiscal 2026 budget, while Space Force wants $13 million.