The Iran deal addresses just one “point of friction” with Iran, and the US must continue to watch other “malign activities,” Maj. Gen. Steven Shepro, vice director for strategic plans and policy for the Joint Staff,? told a House panel on Sept. 10. “The Joint Staff will remain concerned with all of Iran’s destabilizing activities within the region, among which is its expanding ballistic missile inventory and technology,” Shepro said. During a one-hour public hearing, prior to moving to a classified session, Robert Scher, the assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, emphasized that the Iran deal “places no restrictions” on the Defense Department, its plans, programs, capabilities, “or what we can do with our friends and allies.”
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.