Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the recent U.S. military operation against Iran has destroyed 90 percent of the country’s defense industry. The admiral also stated that Iran’s navy has been effectively dismantled for a generation and its drone and missile capabilities will take years to rebuild.
Cooper inadvertently acknowledged that Iranian proxies had ceased attacking U.S. assets prior to Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28. Former U.S. counterterrorism chief Joe Kent noted over video that Iran and its proxies attacked Americans during the Biden administration but halted their activities when President Donald Trump was reelected in January 2025.
Kent concluded that Trump’s decision to attack Iran was not a response to Iranian aggression but rather an action taken on behalf of Israel. According to Kent, the U.S. should now declare victory and exit the conflict.
Cooper described the destruction as “the drone and missile force will take years to reconstitute” and noted that “[Iran’s] navy likely will not get back to its previous size for a full generation.” He emphasized that while Iran could still attack, it no longer possesses the “broad power projection capability.”
Cooper also stated that the U.S. has sufficient munitions to defend its forces and conduct contingency operations, and that coalition partners have adequate defenses. When asked about reports of Iran retaining 75 percent of mobile launchers and 70 percent of missiles, Cooper indicated he does not consider those figures accurate.
Kent added that during his 30 years studying Iranian attacks on America, the rate was “about 350 times in 30 months before Epic Fury commenced”—a figure that he noted ceased under Trump’s administration. Kent explained: “Iran’s proxies attacked our troops & diplomats under Biden, NOT under this Trump admin prior to Epic Fury.”
Kent further stated that Iran stopped its attacks because they knew Trump would respond and wanted to negotiate with him. However, Israel intervened by pushing the U.S. into war. Kent emphasized that Trump’s policy had achieved what was intended but “tragically” was squandered by allowing Israeli officials to steer decisions. Kent, who left his post as counterterrorism chief after resigning in 2024, stated: “High-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform.”
Kent noted that Trump had been poised to negotiate a better deal than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Obama-era nuclear deal) with Iran. The Iranians respected Trump’s approach—unlike Obama—who did not take decisive action against terrorist groups like Qasem Soleimani. Kent concluded: “When Trump landed in the White House again in January 2025, the Iranians stopped their proxies from attacking us and were immediately open to negotiations.” However, Trump accepted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that the war with Iran would be a “cakewalk,” similar to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Kent urged President Trump: “Get us out of the military standoff. Restrain the Israelis. Leverage the potential of sanctions relief to open the Strait of Hormuz and secure a new deal on the nuclear issue.”