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The United States is planning an intensive air campaign lasting nearly two weeks to significantly weaken Iran’s missile capabilities, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The plan, developed by Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), reportedly calls for 10 to 14 consecutive days of airstrikes targeting Iran’s missile infrastructure and military capabilities.
The report comes as the US and Iran continue exchanging attacks in the Middle East.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Admiral Cooper is overseeing the war effort from CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and has prepared plans for a potentially major military operation.
A key element of Cooper’s proposal is what he describes as “going big”—launching a large-scale offensive. His argument is that rapidly destroying Iran’s missile capabilities would reduce the need for the US to use defensive interceptor missiles, as Iran’s ability to launch retaliatory attacks would be significantly diminished.
However, the plan comes amid growing concerns over declining US stocks of air-defense missiles. General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned that Washington cannot concentrate all of its defensive capabilities in the Middle East while maintaining necessary defenses in other parts of the world.
A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said the United States had approximately 2,330 Patriot interceptor missiles when the conflict began. That number is now estimated to have fallen to around 759.
The report warned that a renewed large-scale war could further weaken US defense readiness and potentially undermine Washington’s ability to respond to a possible China-related crisis in the Western Pacific.