Hegseth Claims Iran Military ‘Neutralized’ as Iran Adapts Missile Launches From Deep Inside Territory
Fox News host Pete Hegseth has asserted that Iran’s military has been “neutralized,” defending U.S. strikes and urging the media to “get it right.” Reporting from The Wall Street Journal, however, says U.S. and Israeli strikes have not eliminated Iran’s missile threat: Tehran has adapted by moving launches deeper into its territory and using longer‑range missiles, cutting daily launch rates to roughly a dozen but redirecting salvos at less‑defended targets in Israel and Gulf states.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. and Israeli strikes have heavily targeted Iranian missile sites and truck-mounted launchers near the Persian Gulf but have not eliminated Iran’s missile threat.
- Despite those strikes, Iran continues to fire missiles nearly a month into the war (late March 2026).
- Iran has adapted by shifting launch operations deeper inside its territory, reducing the vulnerability of its launchers to coastal airstrikes.
- Tehran is increasingly relying on longer-range missiles to strike from greater distances.
- Iranian missile launch activity has declined to roughly a dozen launches per day.
- Those smaller, concentrated salvos are being redirected toward less-defended targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states and have sometimes produced greater damage.
📊 Relevant Data
The 2026 war in Iran has internally displaced approximately 3.2 million Iranians, setting the stage for a potential major refugee crisis that could increase migration and asylum seekers to the US.
3.2 million Iranians have been displaced since war began, setting up a potential migration crisis — Fortune
In a March 2026 poll, only 7% of Black Americans support the US war in Iran, compared to 37% of White Americans and levels in between for Hispanics, highlighting significant racial disparities in war support.
What Americans think of the war in Iran — The Conversation
Younger Americans (18-29) show lower support for the US war in Iran at 21%, compared to 40% among those over 65, indicating an age-based disparity in opinions on military involvement.
What Americans think of the war in Iran — The Conversation
Iran's ballistic missile program was developed as a deterrent against potential US and Israeli aggression, with key advancements in range and precision occurring in the 2020s despite international sanctions.
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program — Council on Foreign Relations
About one-third of Iranian immigrants to the US since the 1979 revolution have arrived as refugees or asylees, with nearly half of the current 750,000 Iranian Americans residing in California.
7 facts about Iranians in the U.S. — Pew Research Center
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Despite extensive U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian missile sites and truck launchers near the Persian Gulf, Iran continues to fire missiles almost a month into the war.
- Iran has adapted by moving launch operations deeper inside its territory and relying on longer‑range missiles, reducing vulnerability to coastal airstrikes.
- Current Iranian missile activity is down to around a dozen launches per day, but those salvos are being redirected toward less‑defended targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states, sometimes producing greater damage.