A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft takes off for a mission during Operation Epic Fury, on March 14, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo
The head of the U.S. military command in charge of combat operations in Iran said that the country “suffered a generational military defeat” in the conflict, in remarks made two days after a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States was announced.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command (CENTCOM), said on April 9 that the military was deployed in the Middle East to “dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to project power beyond its own borders, and we clearly accomplished this task,” adding that Iran’s capacity to “conduct large-scale military operations” was destroyed for “years to come.”