WASHINGTON, May 15. /TASS/. It will take a generation for the Iranian navy to go back to what it was before the war with the US and Israel, US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper said.
"My professional perspective on this also is that Iran would not return to the same level of navy that it had for a generation," the CENTCOM chief told the Senate armed services committee on Thursday.
According to Cooper, the US achieved its goals during Operation Epic Fury and was able to reduce Iran's defense industrial base by 90%. "The defense industrial base for their drones and their missiles and their navy were degraded by 90 percent. They have about 10 percent left for the navy," he said. Admiral Cooper believes that the Iranian navy will only begin to recover in five to 10 years, as it is a complex process, made more difficult when there is no industrial base for its construction.
The United States and Israel launched the war against Iran on February 28. On April 7, the White House announced a two-week mutual ceasefire. According to Tehran, 3,375 Iranians have been killed in US-Israeli strikes during the 40 days of the hostilities. On April 11, Tehran and Washington held talks in Islamabad, but the parties failed to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement to the conflict due to a number of disagreements. On April 21, the US leader announced his intention to extend the ceasefire with Iran. According to Iranian state television, Tehran does not intend to recognize Washington’s unilateral ceasefire extension and will act in accordance with its own interests.