US defense chief says no ammunition shortage as strikes on Iran intensify

ISTANBUL

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the US has sufficient munitions to sustain its ongoing military campaign against Iran, rejecting suggestions that American forces could face shortages as the operation continues.

Speaking at the US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Tampa, Florida, alongside CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper on Thursday, Hegseth said Iran’s leadership had miscalculated if it believed Washington could not maintain the pace of operations.

“Iran is hoping that we cannot sustain this, which is a really bad miscalculation for the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) in Iran,” Hegseth said.

“There’s no shortage of American will here,” he added, saying US stockpiles of offensive and defensive weapons allow the campaign to continue “as long as it takes to ensure the US achieves these objectives.”

The remarks came as the US continues a military campaign targeting Iranian military capabilities.

Hegseth said US forces had carried out “devastating, precise strikes” in the early days of the operation, including actions that he said had rendered much of Iran’s navy “combat ineffective,” neutralized missile sites and launchers, and established air superiority over areas where US forces are operating.

“Our capabilities – we have only just begun to fight and fight decisively,” he said, adding that the amount of combat power the US and Israel could project over Iran “is multiples of what it currently is.”

Reports of downed US jet rejected

Hegseth also dismissed reports that Iran had shot down a US F-15 fighter jet, saying Tehran is spreading misinformation.

“Iran is doing everything it can to peddle in lies, deception and inflation of numbers and reality, mostly to propagandize to their own people,” he said.

Cooper said US military power in the region is increasing while Iranian capabilities are declining.

“Our air dominance allows us to hit Iran’s center of gravity with overwhelming power and reach,” he added.

According to Cooper, US bombers struck nearly 200 targets inside Iran over the past 72 hours, including sites around Tehran.

“In just the last hour, US B-2 bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrator bombs targeting deeply buried ballistic missile launchers,” he said.

Cooper also said US forces have carried out extensive strikes against Iran’s naval assets, noting that more than 30 Iranian ships have been sunk or destroyed during the operation.

He added that ballistic missile attacks against US forces have dropped by about 90% since the first day of the campaign, while drone attacks have decreased by 83%.

Next phase targets missile production

The next phase of operations will focus on dismantling Iran’s missile production capabilities, Cooper said.

“We’re not just hitting what they have. We’re destroying their ability to rebuild,” he said, adding that the effort “will take some time” but that US forces remain “well-supplied” to continue the mission.