US Claims Iran Military Decimation Amid Reports of Intact Arsenals

Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claim that U.S. military actions, specifically Operation Epic Fury and Operation Midnight Hammer, have decimated Iran's military capabilities. Hegseth stated that Operation Epic Fury rendered the Iranian military combat-ineffective for years to come, while Trump has maintained a strict policy of ensuring no nuclear weapons for Iran.

However, military analysts and security experts dispute these claims. Professor Anthony Glees asserts that approximately 90% of Iran's strategic capabilities remain intact. This includes a substantial weapons arsenal of rockets and drones housed within a network of tunnels and salt caves on Qeshm Island. This underground infrastructure, which serves as a missile city to control the Strait of Hormuz, supports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The situation follows a period of escalation, including U.S. airstrikes on March 7 that targeted a desalination plant on Qeshm Island. Iranian authorities characterized the attack as a flagrant crime against civilians. While local media attributed recent explosions on the island to the disposal of unexploded enemy ammunition, the presence of the bunker networks continues to drive regional tensions.