Caine Provides Big Update On Damage to Iran’s War Machine

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says the United States has inflicted devastating losses on Iran’s military capabilities following a month-long campaign ordered by President Donald J. Trump to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and military infrastructure.

Speaking Wednesday, Dan “Raisin'” Caine outlined the scale of the operation during a press briefing held shortly after the United States and Iran reached a temporary two-week cease-fire agreement.

The cease-fire has drawn mixed reactions from analysts across the political spectrum, even as U.S. officials highlight what they describe as overwhelming battlefield success.

U.S. Forces Cripple Iranian Naval Power

According to Caine, American forces inflicted catastrophic damage on Iran’s naval fleet during the campaign.

“We assess that we’ve sunk more than 90 percent of their regular fleet, including all major surface combatants. 150 ships are at the bottom of the ocean, along with half of the IRGC Navy’s small attack boats. Joint fires projected from the land, sea, and air executed more than 700 strikes against naval mine targets, and we assess that we destroyed more than 95 percent of their naval mines. And perhaps most importantly, we’ve destroyed Iran’s defense industrial base and their ability to reconstitute those capabilities for years to come,” he said.

The campaign targeted naval assets, weapons facilities, and logistical infrastructure used to support Iran’s military operations across the region.

Thousands of Targets Struck

Caine said U.S. joint forces launched strikes against more than 13,000 targets since major combat operations began.

“Since the beginning of major combat operations, the United States Joint Forces struck more than 13,000 targets — including…more than 4,000 dynamic targets that emerged on the battlefield and were immediately addressed,” the Joint Chiefs chairman continued.

Operations led by United States Central Command were particularly focused on dismantling Iran’s defensive capabilities.

“CENTCOM forces destroyed approximately 80 percent of Iran’s air defense systems, striking more than 1,500 air defense targets, more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, and 800 one-way attack drone storage facilities,” he said.

“All of these systems are gone. We have devastated Iran’s command and control and logistical networks, destroying more than 2,000 command-and-control nodes and degrading their ability to target U.S. and friendly forces,” Caine added.

Trump Ordered Strike on Major Bridge

Trump also revealed new details this week about a major strike carried out during the conflict.

During a Monday press conference, the president said he ordered the destruction of a newly constructed bridge in Iran after negotiators believed Tehran had backed away from a previous agreement to de-escalate the conflict.

The strike targeted the B1 Bridge in Karaj, a major infrastructure project in the Iranian city that was expected to open later this year.

According to Trump, the decision came quickly after negotiations deteriorated.

“We were very close to a deal,” the president said, explaining that Vice President JD Vance and U.S. negotiators reported Iran had begun backing away from commitments.

He described his response to the negotiating team: “Tell them, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it. But tell them to look out their window and watch.”

“Within 45 minutes, I gave the order to knock out the biggest bridge…and within 10 minutes after I gave that order, that bridge was over,” Trump said.

The president later shared footage of the strike on his Truth Social platform.

“The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again — Much more to follow! IT IS TIME FOR IRAN TO MAKE A DEAL BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE, AND THERE IS NOTHING LEFT OF WHAT STILL COULD BECOME A GREAT COUNTRY!”

Debate Over Strike Intensifies

Iranian reports claimed that civilians were gathered nearby celebrating the final day of the Nowruz holiday when the strike occurred.

Initial reports suggested at least eight people were killed and roughly 100 others were injured, though independent verification of those figures has been limited.

U.S. officials maintain the bridge was a legitimate military target because it could have been used to transport weapons and military equipment across the region.

Critics—including several Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning media outlets—have argued the attack could violate provisions of the Geneva Convention prohibiting deliberate strikes against civilian infrastructure.

Trump Claims Strategic Victory

Despite criticism over the cease-fire agreement and individual strikes, Trump said earlier this week that the military campaign has already achieved its primary goals.

He told reporters that U.S. and allied strikes had significantly degraded Tehran’s military capacity and brought the operation close to fulfilling its strategic objectives.

According to the president, American forces are “nearing completion” of their core mission of neutralizing Iran’s ability to threaten regional stability and pursue nuclear weapons.