Former CENTCOM deputy says US can wipe out Islamic Regime in hours
A former CENTCOM official told the Post that a potential wave of attacks on Iran would focus on strategic missile sites and launchers, which are the most immediate threats to U.S. forces and Israel.
According to Vice Admiral (Ret.) Bob Harward, former deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, the massive buildup of U.S. military assets in the Middle East is not just a show of force, but a sign that the United States has the capacity to dismantle the Iranian regime’s power structure in a matter of hours (CENTCOM).
“One thing he exemplifies is that [President Donald] “Trump does what he says,” Harvard said. Jerusalem PostHe cited the withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and his stance that the United States would not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. “He has now positioned assets for a military action,” Harward said.
“If it fails to meet its goals regarding its nuclear and ballistic missile program, it is prepared to move beyond mediation and take action.”
If ordered to strike, Harward, who served as deputy commander of CENTCOM until 2013, detailed a hierarchy of targets designed to neutralize Iran’s offensive capabilities while protecting the general population. According to the former commander, the priority would be “bottom-up.” The first wave will target strategic missile locations and launchers that pose a direct threat to US forces and Israel.
Bob Harward, former Deputy Commander of U.S. CENTCOM. (credit: Courtesy)
The second priority will be to neutralize the surrogate mother’s remains outside the country, which poses a risk of retaliation against Israel.
US may hit IRGC headquarters
However, the most important change in strategy concerns the regime’s internal control over power. Harward suggested that the campaign would target the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the tools used to oppress the Iranian people, rather than the national infrastructure.
“You’re not going to look at infrastructure,” Harward explained. “The purpose of this is to bring a change of government to the Iranian people, so I think such targets will not be hit. The focus will only be on things that will allow the regime and the Revolutionary Guard to repress the people.”
Perhaps the most chilling warning Teheran Harvard’s description of modern American combat capabilities was as follows; He stated that these were far superior to those seen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “Because of what we’ve learned and what we’ve been able to improve in terms of technology (like command, control and targeting), it allows your mass attacks to be more effective,” Harward said.
“While we used to be able to carry out 40-50 attacks a day, we now have the ability to carry out hundreds of attacks a day. This completely changes the equation for the regime.”
Harward explained that the United States now has the capacity to decapitate the IRGC’s command structure with great speed. “If you’re targeting the IRGC and you want to go after all of their headquarters and facilities, you can probably do it in a matter of hours. That’s unprecedented.”
Harward’s perspective is shaped not only by his military service but also by his personal history. His family lived in Iran from 1968 to 1979, and he was in the country as a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy a few weeks before the Shah’s fall.
Recalling the 1979 revolution, Harward noted that the turning point came when the army switched from supporting the Shah to supporting the people. He believes a similar dynamic is key to any future change in Tehran. “This is a regime that has oppressed its people for 47 years,” he said. “The majority wants change.”
He emphasized that any military action must be compatible with supporting the Iranian people, ensuring that the target list undermines the regime’s ability to communicate and suppress dissent without alienating the population.
“I don’t think anyone really understands the scale or the capacity that we have because no one has seen it before,” Harward said in a warning to other global powers. “If it happens, it will be an eye-opener for everyone to understand where we are in terms of size, scale, speed and capacity. Russia or China.”
