Centcom chief: ‘Iran has suffered a generational military defeat’

The head of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), the military arm that oversees forces in the Middle East, said Thursday that troops “remain present” in the region amid a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

Speaking in a video message posted to social media, Navy Adm. Brad Cooper said that although U.S. forces have paused offensive operations in accordance with the ceasefire, “we remain present, we remain vigilant and we remain ready if called.”

More than 50,000 American service members are in the Middle East following a nearly six-week military campaign against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury. 

President Trump late Tuesday insisted that the United States had won a “total and complete victory” against Iran after agreeing to the ceasefire deal with the country. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the same Wednesday when he declared “overwhelming victory” over Tehran.

But the ceasefire could give way to more fighting, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine acknowledged Wednesday, noting that the U.S. military “remains ready if ordered or called upon to resume combat operations.” 

As of Thursday, the ceasefire remained in place but was tenuous due to Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon — which Iran said is in violation of the agreement — and Tehran’s continued hold over the Strait of Hormuz.

In his message, Cooper said Iran “has suffered a generational military defeat” after the United States and Israel “systematically destroyed Iran’s ability to conduct large-scale military operations for years to come.”

“We set out to dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to project power beyond its own borders, and we clearly accomplished this task,” Cooper said, adding that Iran’s conventional military capability “has been eliminated.”

Thirteen U.S. service members died and at least 381 have been wounded since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28, according to Centcom.