Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers on Thursday that the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran has destroyed 90% of the Islamic Republic’s defensive capabilities, severely limiting Tehran’s ability to threaten the region.
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the posture of CENTCOM and U.S. Africa Command, Cooper said the operation achieved its military objectives in less than 40 days.
“Most notably, we degraded Iran’s ability to project power outside its borders and threaten the region and threaten our interests,” Cooper said.
Referring to Iran’s missile and drone barrages against Israel in April and October 2024, Cooper said Tehran no longer has the capacity to launch attacks “with that mass and scale.”
Cooper also said Iran has been cut off from supplying weapons and support to Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“Those transfer paths and methods have been cut off,” he said, describing the outcome as the result of the culmination of careful planning.
The CENTCOM chief’s remarks came amid continued debate in Washington over the extent of the damage inflicted on Iran’s military infrastructure. Cooper disputed reports suggesting Tehran retained most of its prewar missile stockpiles.
“High-stakes negotiations continue,” he added. “Our job is to be ready, and we are.”
