The American Defense Minister asserts that the Iranian defense industry has been completely destroyed

The United States has “completely destroyed Iran’s defense industrial base,” said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday at a press conference following the announcement of a ceasefire between the two countries.

“They can no longer build missiles, rockets, launchers, or drones, their factories have been razed,” the minister added.

“The Operation Epic Fury was a historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield,” he also claimed, using the code name for the American campaign against Iran launched on February 28.

“This operation ‘decimated Iran’s military forces and made them unfit for combat for years to come,” he added.

On his part, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine echoed the minister’s sentiment while qualifying his remarks.

According to the general, the United States has annihilated Iran’s ability to rebuild its defense capabilities “for years to come.”

“We, along with our partners, have attacked about 90% of their weapons factories,” including “all factories producing Shahed explosive drones” and “all factories producing the guidance systems” for these drones, he added.

Regarding naval matters, “it will take years for Iran to rebuild surface combat vessels,” according to Dan Caine.

“And ‘nearly 80% of Iran’s nuclear industrial base has been affected, further degrading their attempts to obtain a nuclear weapon’,” according to the general.

According to Pete Hegseth, if the ceasefire had not been achieved on Tuesday, the United States had “a series of targets” ready to be struck, citing “bridges and power plants,” describing them as “legitimate targets.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine also warned that American forces remain on alert, ready to resume combat if the ceasefire with Iran ends.

“Let’s be clear, a ceasefire is a pause, and the armed forces remain ready, if ordered or called upon, to resume combat operations with the same speed and precision we have demonstrated over the past 38 days,” he said.

AFP