‘Heavy wave of strikes’ could be first of a two-week campaign to finish off Iran’s missile arsenal

‘A HEAVY WAVE OF STRIKES’: After an angry President Donald Trump told Fox News “We’re going to beat the f***ing s*** out of them,” the U.S. Central Command carried out what it called “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran in response to yesterday’s attempted missile attacks on U.S. forces.”The strikes lasted for two hours from 8 to 10 p.m. ET and a video posted to X showed F-18s launching from an U.S. aircraft carrier and grainy thermal images showed bombs hitting trucks, boats, and mountain hideouts. In a release CENTCOM said “dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets” were struck, including “military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense sites, and maritime capabilities.”In announcing the strikes last night, CENTCOM called them “a powerful response to yesterday’s attempted Iranian attacks on U.S. forces based in the Middle East.” The United States said the Iranian missiles fired at an American base in Jordan on Tuesday were all successfully intercepted by U.S. missile defense systems.US strikes Iran for first time in days after Jordan missile attackTRUMP: ‘IT’S OUR TURN TO HIT THEM’: Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office yesterday, Trump described the latest strikes and counterstrikes as just part of the back and forth where each side takes turns hitting each other. “We’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them,” Trump said. “They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it.”“There’s very little they can do about it. It was a different group than we’re dealing with,” Trump added. “They’ve already apologized, but, you know, we got to smack them a little bit.”“We had five rockets out going 8,500 miles an hour, and all five rockets were knocked down to the ground, but they nevertheless took a shot,” Trump said describing Iran’s Tuesday attack on U.S. forces in Jordan “So, it’s our turn, and we’ll see if we get there with an agreement at some point. But we’re going to hit them very hard.”TRUMP: US WILL ‘BEAT THE F***ING S*** OUT OF’ IRAN AFTER SURPRISE ATTACKTIME TO GO BIG? The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that U.S. Central Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, who is ostensibly in charge of the war, has briefed Trump on a proposed two-week plan that would put an end to Iranian attacks by targeting their remaining missile launchers.Cooper reportedly briefed the president on Air Force One when Trump was in Dover for the dignified transfer of the four most recent fatalities from the war. Also present for the conversation was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine.“The idea behind Cooper’s high-end option is to go beyond the smaller retaliatory airstrikes that have done little to deter Tehran from threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz and lobbing missiles at American forces,” the outlet reported, citing “people familiar with the matter.”Cooper argued in favor of stepping up U.S. air attacks, to completely diminish Iran’s missile capabilities, according to the outlet. Called the “go big approach,” he said doing so would minimize the U.S.’s use of defensive munitions, since there would be less incoming fire from Iran. At the same time, NBC News is reporting that Trump is “exasperated” that his senior advisors can’t agree on a strategy, and even “erupted” at top national security officials during a meeting, frustrated they had not closed a deal.One U.S. official told the outlet, “We have had a series of tactical victories, but are facing a strategic defeat without clear policy guidance or a decision about where this is going.” Hegseth is portrayed as the one pushing hardest for a resumption of major combat operations, while Caine is said to be questioning what escalation would achieve. “The president is exasperated. I don’t think he believed it was going to be this difficult,” one Trump ally is quoted as saying “There was not a real strategy for how long or what they should do to get to the endpoint.”NETANYAHU INSISTS TRUMP CALLING SHOTS IN IRAN WAR, CALLS ISRAEL ‘JUNIOR PARTNER’Good Wednesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Keely Bastow. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP OR READ BACK ISSUES OF DAILY ON DEFENSECSIS: YES, CRITICAL MUNITIONS ARE RUNNING LOW: Add to the debate over whether the U.S. is facing a diminishing inventory of critical air defense missiles the latest report from Center for Strategic and International Studies.While the exact number of Patriot and THAAD, or Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, interceptor missiles left in U.S. stockpiles is classified, experts at the nonpartisan think have come up with educated estimates based on Pentagon budget materials and publicly released information. Their conclusion: While Iranian missile attacks “have been unable to diminish U.S. and coalition operations,” they have “required extensive use of interceptors, with Patriot inventories now under 1,000 and THAAD inventories at about 250.”That’s down from 2,330 Patriots and 452 THAAD missiles in the inventory in February before the launch of Operation Epic Fury. “Diminished stockpiles may force the United States and its coalition partners to take more risks with interceptions,” the authors Mark Cancian and Chris Park write. “There are no good alternatives to Patriot and THAAD for ballistic missile defense. Navy ships, with Standard Missiles that can intercept such threats, generally are too far away.”NBC News reported recently that to conserve inventories of the crucial missiles, U.S. commanders have been prioritizing protection of troops and critical facilities, over runways and unoccupied areas.On Monday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One, “We have a lot of ammunition, different types … We have a lot of the mid-level stuff too, I mean, more than we could ever use, no matter what. But we have a lot. I’d like to have more, to be honest.”“We’re in very good shape. But for some of the more sophisticated stuff, we’d certainly like to have more,” he added.And yesterday, Trump revealed that it was a U.S.-manned Patriot Missile defense system that shot down the Iranian missile over Jordan Tuesday. “Fortunately, we had our people operating the greatest equipment in the world, namely the Patriot system. Think of it. Five missiles going 8,600-miles-an-hour, big ones, coming right at us, and all five were shot down. How about that, right? Pretty good. Only we, nobody else could do that but us.”US HAS USED MORE THAN HALF OF PATRIOT INTERCEPTORS IN IRAN WARTRUMP TO ZELENSKY: ‘JUST END THE WAR’: Ukraine faced another night of missile attacks from Russia, as the shortage of Patriot and other anti-ballitic missile systems has left larger parts of the country vulnerable to attack.Overnight Russian missiles killed at least eight civilians, including children, and wounded more than 50 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on X, along with pictures and video of the aftermath. “Last night, a Russian missile strike on Radushne in the Dnipro region killed parents and three children. Two more children were pulled alive from under the rubble. It was an ordinary home, blown into smithereens by a ballistic missile.”“This Russian terror once again proves that protection against the Russian missile threat is the most important task when it comes to saving the lives of our people,” Zelensky said. “And this is not a task that can be left to Ukraine alone or to any one country alone. All partners know how and with what they can help”Trump said yesterday he had one message for Zelensky when the two met at the White House Tuesday: “I’d like him to end the war. So it’s very simple.” Trump seemed to indicate he wasn’t taking sides in the war. “I get along with both. I get along with President Putin, I get along with President Zelensky,” he said. “And like I told him … End the war, get the war ended. Thousands of people — 25,000 people died last month. That’s standard. And it’s not acceptable. So I said just end the war.”NETANYAHU INSISTS TRUMP CALLING SHOTS IN IRAN WAR, CALLS ISRAEL ‘JUNIOR PARTNER’THE RUNDOWN: Washington Examiner: US has used more than half of Patriot interceptors in Iran warWashington Examiner: Trump: US will ‘beat the f***ing s*** out of’ Iran after surprise attackWashington Examiner: US strikes Iran for first time in days after Jordan missile attackWashington Examiner: Joint operation with US opens Saudi Arabia to Iranian barrageWashington Examiner: US considers rejecting French ambassador appointmentWashington Examiner: ICE arresting visa overstayers at airports coast to coast: ReportWashington Examiner: Illegal immigrant population surged to all-time high of 15.8 million under Biden, study saysWashington Examiner: Opinion: How Zelensky won Trump’s trustWashington Examiner: Opinion: Russia tested NATO’s border. Romania didn’t call Washington — it shot backWashington Examiner: Opinion: How Iran bought a terrorist network in America’s backyardWall Street Journal: The US Commander with a Two-Week Plan to Escalate Strikes in IranNBC News: Trump ‘exasperated’ on Iran as top officials can’t agree on strategy, sources sayNew York Times: Trump Encounters a More Determined Iran as War WidensAP: US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls againAP: An Iranian strike has hit a Chinese firm’s building, killing 1, hours after Jordan downs missilesDefense News: Pentagon Has ‘Kicked Off’ Review of US Force Posture in EuropeBreaking Defense: Ukraine, NATO Launch New Funding Program to Counter Russian DronesAP: Russian strikes across Ukraine, from east to west, kill at least 8 and wound dozensAir & Space Forces Magazine: Experts See Urgent Need to Defend Bases from Drone Attack. Here’s What USAF Is DoingAir & Space Forces Magazine: CCAs Head to Air Force’s Main Drone Base for ExerciseDefense One: Iran War ‘Accelerated’ Key Tanker Connectivity Upgrades, Top Air Force Officials SayThe War Zone: Will the F-47 Have to Fly Initially with Inferior Engines?Aviation Week: US Air Force Reveals Plans For VTOL Bomber PrototypeAir & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Eyes a Busy 2027 to Resolve KC-46 Vision System IssuesAir & Space Forces Magazine: Space Force to Launch 18 Comms and Targeting Missions by End of 2027Washington Post: West Point professors free to comment publicly as school declines to appeal rulingBreaking Defense: Opinion: Protecting America’s Troops on the Digital BattlefieldTHE CALENDAR: WEDNESDAY | JULY 29 9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Future of U.S. Land Power,” with Undersecretary of the Army Mike Obadal; and Jerry McGinn, director, CSIS Center, Industrial Base and senior fellow of the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/future-us-land-powerTHURSDAY | JULY 30 8 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, — Hudson Institute discussion: “Responding to Global Threats,” with Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) https://www.hudson.org/events/responding-global-threats8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va — Potomac Officers Club “2026 Air and Space Summit,” with Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Lamontagne; and Deputy NASA Administrator Matt Anderson https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events/2026-air-and-space-summit/9:30 a.m. Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: beginning at 9:30 a.m., on a new report, “Defeating the Drones: The Airman’s Imperative to Defend Against Small Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles,” with author retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, Mitchell Institute senior fellow; and retired Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck, former commander, U.S. Northern Command https://afa-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f1KgJjLESLaiZaHzepMZSg#/registration10 a.m. — Arab Center Washington D.C. virtual discussion: “The Board of Peace’s Gaza Plan: Broken or Working as Intended?” with Daniel Levy, president, U.S./Middle East Project; Mohammed Mhawish, Palestinian writer and journalist; Susan Akram, non-resident senior fellow of the Arab Center Washington D.C.; Dana El Kurd, non-resident senior fellow, Arab Center Washington D.C.; and Yousef Munayyer, head of the Arab Center D.C. Palestine/Israel Program and senior fellow, Arab Center Washington D.C. https://arabcenterdc.org/event/the-board-of-peaces-gaza-plan-broken-or-working-as-intended/FRIDAY | JULY 31 12 p.m. — Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies virtual discussion: “What Was the Founders Design for National Security Beyond the Battlefield?” with Alberto Coll, director, global engagement for Vincent de Paul and professor, law at Depaul University College of Law; Matthew Waxman, professor of law at Columbia School of Law; John Yoo, professor, of law at the University of California at Berkeley, senior research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin Civitas Institute School of Civic Leadership; and non-resident senior fellow of the American Enterprise Institute; and Molly Nixon, senior fellow in executive power at the Cato Institute https://fedsoc.org/events/what-was-the-founders-design-for-national-security