Top general: US to expand operations deeper into Iran

The United States will expand its military operations deeper into Iran after establishing air superiority, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on March 4, citing a sharp decline in Iranian missile and drone launches since the start of US-Israeli strikes.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said that following the initial phase of operations, US forces are preparing to intensify their campaign, CNN reports.

After establishing air superiority in Iran, the US “will now begin to expand inland,” Caine said.

US forces will strike “progressively deeper into Iranian territory and (create) additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,” he added.

Caine’s remarks came after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth described the operation as still in its “early” days and said the US would accelerate military action.

Speaking during a briefing at the Pentagon, Caine said Iranian missile launches have dropped significantly since the start of the joint US-Israeli strikes.

“As of this morning, US Central Command is making steady progress. Iran’s theater ballistic missile shots fired are down 86% from the first day of fighting,” Caine said. He added that the decline has accelerated in recent hours.

“There’s ‘a 23% decrease just in the last 24 hours, and their one-way attack drone shots are down 73%,’” Caine added.

He said the reduction in missile and drone activity had enabled US forces to broaden their operational advantage.

“This progress has allowed CENTCOM to establish localized air superiority across the southern flank of the Iranian coast and penetrate their defenses with overwhelming precision and firepower.”

The statistics were released one day after President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out.”

By Sabina Mammadli