Updated May 14, 2026 — The commander of U.S. Central Command told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Operation Epic Fury met its objectives in significantly degrading Iran’s military capacity, while warning that Tehran still retains the ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Admiral Brad Cooper said U.S. forces have located and destroyed more than 90 percent of an estimated 8,000 naval mines that Iran could have used to disrupt transit through the strait, though he acknowledged some Iranian capabilities remain and that Tehran’s threats continue to reverberate through the merchant and insurance industries.
The admiral said the broader bombing campaign damaged or destroyed more than 85 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile, drone and naval industrial base, following roughly 1,450 strikes on weapons-production facilities. Cooper testified that rebuilding Iran’s navy would take a generation and that drone and missile production would require several years to recover.
Cooper pushed back on media estimates that Iran retains 70 percent of its ballistic missiles, saying such specific figures are classified, and declined to offer detailed numbers in open testimony. CBS News previously reported in April that Iran retained at least half of its missile inventory.
Senators were told the U.S. has military options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if needed, but Cooper emphasized that any decision to take such action is a policymaker choice. He said the April 7 ceasefire remains in effect even as the U.S. Navy continues a blockade of Iranian ports and there were exchanges of fire the prior week. The administration has informed Congress it considers hostilities with Iran to have terminated.
Cooper described an uptick in Iran’s production capability and intent between November and December 2025 as a key factor in the decision to carry out Operation Epic Fury, calling the buildup a very significant risk.
The hearing also addressed legal and accountability questions. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said members of the Armed Services Committee have not been shown the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion that the administration relied on to justify the strikes, and pressed for access. Committee chairman Republican Sen. Roger Wicker noted that Cooper, as a military commander, is not the source of that legal rationale.
Cooper avoided discussing potential intelligence sharing from China or Russia with Iran in open session, saying those matters should be handled in classified settings when senators asked.
The admiral confirmed the military continues to investigate a strike at the start of the campaign that hit a girls school in Iran and killed about 150 people. A preliminary U.S. assessment reported in March suggested the United States was likely responsible for that attack but did not intentionally target the school and may have struck it in error. Cooper said the investigation remains ongoing and said he is committed to preventing civilian harm, inviting senators to visit Central Command headquarters in Tampa to review targeting processes.
When pressed about a New York Times report saying 22 schools had been struck since the conflict began, Cooper said there was no indication the specific report was accurate and acknowledged that the military has not investigated each incident cited. He said he would work to produce a report assessing whether hospitals or schools were destroyed in U.S. strikes.
The hearing highlighted the tension between military assessments and public reporting, the limits of what commanders can disclose in unclassified forums, and ongoing congressional queries about the legal basis for the campaign and accountability for civilian casualties.