More US troops being deployed to Middle East, top general says

The United States will deploy additional troops and military assets to the Middle East as operations against Iran continue, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Monday.

Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Caine made clear the campaign, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, is far from over.

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“This is not a single overnight operation. The military objectives that [US Central Command] CENTCOM and the joint force have been tasked with will take some time to achieve, and, in some cases, will be difficult and gritty work,” Caine said.

He acknowledged that four US troops have been killed so far and warned that further casualties are likely.

“We expect to take additional losses, and as always, we will work to minimize US losses. But as the Secretary [of Defense Pete Hegseth] said, this is major combat operations,” Caine added.

Caine confirmed that additional forces were already en route to the region.

“In fact, Admiral Cooper will receive additional forces even today,” he said, referring to CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper.

He described the rapid buildup as proof of the US military’s ability to adapt and project power “at the time and place of our nation's choosing.”

Lead-up to the strikes

According to Caine, President Donald Trump issued the order to proceed just before 4 p.m. EST on Friday.

Air defense units immediately prepared for potential Iranian retaliation, running system checks and rehearsing response scenarios. Pilots finalized strike packages while crews loaded munitions. Two carrier strike groups moved into launch position.

The first elements to act were US Cyber Command and US Space Command, which Caine said layered “non-kinetic effects, disrupting and degrading and blinding Iran's ability to see, communicate and respond.”

Describing the opening moments of the assault, Caine said, “As dawn crept up across the Central Command [area of operation] AOR, the skies surged to life.”

More than 100 US aircraft launched from land and sea, including fighter jets, refueling tankers, early warning aircraft, electronic warfare platforms, bombers from the United States, and unmanned systems. The coordinated daytime strike followed what Caine described as a “trigger event” by the Israeli military, “enabled by the US intelligence community.”

US officials provided intelligence to Israel on the location of Iran’s supreme leader and a high-level meeting in Tehran that morning. Israel subsequently carried out the strike that killed Ali Khamenei.

Sequence of events

The operation began with Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from the sea, targeting Iranian naval assets.

Within the first 24 hours, US forces struck more than 1,000 targets. Initial phases focused on Iranian personnel, command-and-control nodes, naval forces, ballistic missile sites, and intelligence infrastructure.

Cyber and space operations disrupted Iranian communications and sensor networks, degrading Tehran’s ability to respond effectively. Those efforts helped establish air superiority, Caine said.

The strikes also included B-2 stealth bombers flying round-trip missions from the United States to drop 2,000-pound penetrating bombs on underground ballistic missile facilities, similar in profile to previous US strikes on hardened targets. Last year, the B-2s dropped 30,000-pound bombs, also referred to as the “mother of all bombs.”

Caine said the campaign included several unprecedented elements but declined to provide specifics, saying the CENTCOM commander would address those details later.

In one instance, US forces deployed a kamikaze drone unit composed of replicated, low-cost Iranian-style drones.

Defense and regional partners

Caine praised the performance of US defensive systems and coordination with regional allies.

He said the integrated air and missile defense network was functioning as designed.

“I wish that every American could hear the voice communications like I have as these joint operation centers remain calm, focused and cool while executing under fire over and over again,” Caine said.

He also highlighted support from regional partners, including air defense contributions from Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier Monday, CENTCOM reported that three US F-15 fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defense systems. All crew members ejected safely.

“I am grateful for the safety of the crews, and we know that this was not from hostile enemy fire,” Caine said.

Operations to continue

Al Arabiya English reported Sunday night that the US military had no intention of easing its strikes.

Caine reinforced that message Monday, signaling sustained operations ahead.

“We can sustain the fight, and we can scale the fight, and we will prevail,” he said.

Read more: Pentagon chief refuses to rule out ‘boots on ground’ in Iran