SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The United States and Israel launched a major joint military assault on Iran on Saturday. President Trump said the goal is to devastate Iran's military, dismantle its missile program and pave the way for regime change.
San Diego Navy veteran Shawn VanDiver said he is uncertain the attack is beneficial for the U.S., Israel or Iran.
"It's really scary, right? And there's no clear strategy, no clear endgame. The Iranian regime is brutal, corrupt, and repressive, but bombing Iran is not the same thing as bringing lasting change to the country," VanDiver said.
VanDiver is the founder and president of Afghan Evac, an organization that administers cooperation between U.S. government agencies and non-governmental groups.
He said he knows the impact this attack will have as a ripple effect on people throughout San Diego.
"If I were a family member of somebody who is about to be uh deployed, I would be worried. There's a lot of people in San Diego who are worried about their family members right now, and they should be worried. War is not a game. This is not a, a fun joke that we do on the weekends to, to, you know, pass the time. This is very serious and lives are lost," VanDiver said.
VanDiver said he is concerned about the lack of a clear plan surrounding the assault on Iran.
"We don't know what the reason is right now, right? We don't know what their plan is. We don't know what the ultimate goal is, and, and we certainly don't have a plan for, um, for closing this out," VanDiver said.
Despite his concerns, VanDiver said he is confident in the military's execution and acknowledged the uncertainty military families are facing.
"There's a lot of uncertainty that comes for the families of young people who have to go and fight this war. Um, they're gonna do their jobs, they're gonna do it well," VanDiver said.
We spoke with VanDiver about the broader impact this military action could have on San Diego's military community and the families connected to it.
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