Iran War: US Forces Ready To Resume Major Combat Operations, Says Top American General

2 min readUpdated: May 5, 2026 09:50 PM IST

After Iran launched missiles against the UAE on Monday threatening the fragile ceasefire in the region, US’ Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said American forces remain “ready to resume major combat operation” against Tehran if they are ordered are to do so.

Caine said Iran attacked US forces 10 times since the ceasefire between the two countries started on April 8, however, the top US general added that these attacks were “below the threshold” of resuming fighting “at this point.”

When asked by reporters during the Pentagon press briefing when would Iranian attacks surpass the threshold, Caine said it is “above my paygrade”. The US general added that Tehran has “weaponised the global supply chain” over the Strait of Hormuz and the regime has attempted to “hold the entire global economy hostage.”

Detailing the US military’s operation in the region, Caine said, “On the surface, guided missile destroyers and other warships are detecting and defeating Iranian threats. This includes fast boats and one-way attack drones.”

The US general further added, “In the air, more than 100 fighters, attack aircraft, and other manned and unmanned aircraft, synchronized by the 82nd Airborne Division are in the air 24 hours a day, providing defensive overwatch for the enhanced security area.”

This comes as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “ceasefire is not over” and Project Freedom, initiated by President Donald Trump, “is a separate and distinct project” and is “temporary in duration” to “protect innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression.”

Hegseth further said that American strategy is “laser focused” and that Washington is not allowing itself to be distracted. The defence secretary also warned the Iranian regime that it will face “overwhelming firepower” if it attacks commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Iran has launched missile strikes in UAE amid the fragile ceasefire, wherein three Indian nationals were injured on Monday.

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