Pentagon Says Tehran’s Launches Are Declining While American Strikes Push Further Inland.
Fewer Iranian missiles — but a wider American war. Is this the turning point or the next phase?
The United States signaled a new phase in its war with Iran on Wednesday, saying Iranian missile launches have declined sharply since the opening salvos of the conflict — even as Washington prepares to expand its campaign deeper into Iranian territory.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon that Iran’s military capabilities have been “greatly diminished,” pointing to a drop in missile fire compared with the first days of fighting.
“We will now begin to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and creating additional freedom of maneuver for US forces,” Caine said.
The comments suggest the U.S. believes it has degraded enough of Iran’s air defenses and launch infrastructure to operate with greater latitude — a significant shift from the early phase of the conflict, when Iranian barrages targeted U.S. bases and regional cities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a confident tone, declaring that the United States was “winning” the war, even as he confirmed that six American service members have been killed since hostilities began.
“We will outlast Iran,” Hegseth said.
In a notable escalation at sea, Hegseth confirmed that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka — the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War II.
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.”
The incident marks a dramatic expansion of the conflict beyond the Persian Gulf, underscoring the global dimensions of the confrontation.
Analysts caution that a reduction in Iranian missile fire does not necessarily signal exhaustion. Tehran may be conserving inventory, recalibrating targets, or shifting toward asymmetric tactics — including maritime disruption or proxy operations.
For Washington, however, the message is clear: momentum appears to be shifting. By pushing strikes inland, the United States is betting that sustained pressure will further erode Iran’s command structure, logistics networks and remaining launch capabilities.
Whether that strategy compels Tehran to negotiate — or provokes a new and unpredictable phase — may determine how long this widening war endures.
