Retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane says American forces are focusing on neutralizing Iran’s ability to retaliate by targeting key military infrastructure, including underground tunnel networks used to store ballistic missiles and drones.
Speaking on Fox News FROM 13:09 on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Keane said the ongoing U.S. military operation extends beyond striking launch systems and missile stockpiles. He explained that American forces are also working to prevent Iran from accessing weapons hidden in fortified underground facilities.
According to Keane, sealing the entrances to these tunnels is intended to deny Iranian forces access to missiles without requiring direct destruction of every underground storage site.
“We’re likely sealing the entrances to the tunnels where they store these, which we’ve done before — they excavated and removed some, and sealing contains those missiles; they can’t get them out without a major engineering operation,” Keane said.
The retired four-star general noted that similar tactics had been employed in previous operations, although Iran was eventually able to excavate and recover some of the stored weapons. He said blocking tunnel entrances remains an effective way to delay or significantly limit Tehran’s ability to launch retaliatory missile attacks.
Keane explained that the current U.S. campaign has two primary objectives: degrading Iran’s capability to disrupt commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and reducing its ability to strike U.S. forces and regional allies with ballistic missiles and drones.
He added that the operation is condition-based, meaning its duration will depend on whether military commanders determine that the objectives have been achieved, rather than on a fixed timeline….See More