‘AIR SUPREMACY’: Ret. General Stuns CNN With Truth About Trump’s Dominant Operation In Iran

The United States and Israel appear to have achieved overwhelming control of Iranian airspace as their joint military campaign enters its second week, a development that retired U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus says represents a major strategic breakthrough in the war.

Speaking on CNN, Petraeus said the early phase of the operation has gone largely according to plan, with coalition forces systematically dismantling Iran’s ability to defend its skies.

“In this case, I actually see the military missions being accomplished fairly steadily here,” Petraeus said. “The trajectory is very good.”

According to the former CIA director and Iraq War commander, the first priority was eliminating Iran’s air defense and ballistic missile systems. Those systems had already been damaged during an initial Israeli air campaign, but U.S. forces moved quickly to finish the job once the operation began.

“First and foremost, of course, they went after the air and ballistic missile defenses, took those down — whatever had been reconstituted after the Israelis took them apart in the early days of the 12-day air campaign,” Petraeus explained. “That’s crucial because we don’t want to be restricted to just the F-35 stealth fighter bombers and the B-2 stealth bombers. We want to bring in the big ones, the B-52s, the B-1 bombers.”

“I would argue that we have actually achieved air supremacy, not just air superiority,” he said, noting that military officials are often cautious about declaring such milestones publicly.

The comments come as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran intensifies on multiple fronts.

WATCH:

Gen. David Petraeus on just how successful the U.S. has been in Iran: “We have actually achieved air supremacy, not just air superiority” pic.twitter.com/OEYhlJAiYK

— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) March 6, 2026

The war began after coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes on February 28 aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear program and military infrastructure. The opening attacks reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior commanders, throwing Iran’s leadership structure into turmoil.

The general also suggested that frustration with stalled nuclear negotiations and intelligence showing Iran rebuilding its missile stockpiles likely factored into the decision to launch the operation.

In the days since, Israeli aircraft have reportedly struck hundreds of targets across Iran, including command centers, missile facilities, and underground complexes in Tehran. One major strike destroyed a large bunker believed to be used by senior Iranian leadership.

Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and allied infrastructure across the Middle East. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have also launched attacks on Israeli and American targets, expanding the war into a regional conflict.

Petraeus argued that Iran may have made a major strategic mistake by widening the battlefield. Instead of limiting retaliation to U.S. and Israeli military targets, Iranian forces have struck infrastructure across Gulf states, including airports, hotels, fuel facilities, and energy installations.

Many of those Gulf countries initially tried to stay out of the conflict and even restricted the use of their territory for military operations. But Petraeus warned that Iran’s broader attacks could now draw those nations directly into the fight.

“They were trying to sit on the sidelines,” he explained. “Now they’re being drawn into it.”

As the war enters its seventh day, the United States continues to expand its air campaign while President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”