U.S. And Israel Move Toward Total Control Of Iranian Airspace

The United States and Israel are rapidly moving toward complete control of Iranian airspace a turning point that could allow allied forces to dismantle much of Iran’s military infrastructure.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that American and Israeli air forces are on the verge of achieving uncontested dominance over Iran’s skies as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury campaign.

Once that objective is complete, U.S. warplanes will be able to strike Iranian military targets continuously, day and night.

“Starting last night, and to be completed in a few days in under a week the two most powerful air forces in the world will have complete control of Iranian skies,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.

That level of air superiority would dramatically expand the pace and scale of the operation.

“It means we will fly all day, all night, day and night,” Hegseth said, describing the next phase of the campaign as focused on “finding, fixing, and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military.”

The secretary made it clear that the effort is only beginning.

“They are toast, and they know it,” Hegseth said. “We have only just begun to hunt, dismantle, demoralize, destroy, and defeat their capabilities.”

The air campaign is already massive in scale.

According to Hegseth, the United States has deployed twice the air power used during the opening phase of the 2003 Iraq War, signaling just how seriously Washington is taking the threat posed by Iran’s missile and military programs.

Once full air dominance is established, the next stage will involve sustained bombing of Iranian military targets using large precision-guided weapons.

Hegseth said the Air Force will deploy:

• 500-pound precision bombs

• 1,000-pound laser and GPS-guided bombs

• 2,000-pound bunker-busting munitions

These weapons are designed to destroy hardened targets such as missile facilities, underground storage depots, and defense manufacturing infrastructure.

The Pentagon also pushed back on speculation that the United States could face shortages of key munitions during a prolonged conflict.

Hegseth insisted the military has the capacity to sustain operations for as long as necessary.

“Our stockpiles remain extremely strong,” he said. “We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”

Still, senior military leaders were more cautious when discussing exact supply levels.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine declined to reveal detailed numbers, citing operational security concerns.

“We have sufficient precision munitions for the task at hand, both on the offense and defense,” Caine said. “I don’t want to be talking about quantities.”

Even without those details, the scale of the campaign is becoming clearer.

So far, U.S. forces have carried out roughly 2,000 strikes against Iranian military targets. The operation has also dealt a severe blow to Iran’s naval presence, with 20 Iranian ships reportedly sunk during the early stages of the conflict.

The impact on Iran’s ability to retaliate is already visible.

According to military officials:

• Iranian ballistic missile launches have dropped 86% since the first day of fighting

• Iranian drone attacks have declined by 76%

• U.S. and allied forces have already established local air superiority in several regions

Those numbers suggest that Iran’s ability to sustain large-scale military operations is deteriorating rapidly.

Control of the skies is often the decisive factor in modern warfare. Once achieved, it allows air forces to strike supply lines, missile sites, command centers, and military factories with little resistance.

That is precisely what U.S. and Israeli planners appear to be preparing for.

If the current trajectory continues, Operation Epic Fury could soon shift from suppressing Iranian threats to systematically dismantling the regime’s remaining military capabilities.

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