Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson said recent U.S. military operations against Iran have dealt a significant blow to the regime’s military capabilities but warned the conflict may still present long-term challenges for American security and stability in the region.
Johnson offered his assessment following remarks from President Donald Trump, who said the early stages of the campaign had largely dismantled Iran’s conventional military capacity. Trump said Iranian naval forces, air defenses, radar systems, and much of the country’s military leadership had been neutralized during the opening days of the operation.
“There’s no doubt about it that it’s been quite stunning in terms of what they’ve achieved,” Johnson said of the campaign. He pointed to the rapid destruction of Iranian naval assets, missile launch sites, and key leadership figures as evidence of the operation’s effectiveness.
According to U.S. Central Command, thousands of targets have been struck since the campaign began, with dozens of Iranian ships damaged or destroyed and major components of the country’s missile and drone infrastructure eliminated.
While acknowledging the success of the initial phase, Johnson cautioned that Iran still possesses capabilities that could prolong instability, particularly through unconventional tactics.
“The concern is keeping the Strait of Hormuz open,” Johnson said. “They still have drones and mines. It’s harder to deploy those without a navy, but the threat is still there.”
Maintaining safe passage through the strategic shipping route remains a central objective for U.S. forces in the region. The narrow waterway handles a large share of the world’s oil shipments, and any disruption could have significant economic consequences globally.
Johnson also highlighted the role of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful military organization with an estimated 200,000 members, which he said remains deeply entrenched despite the losses suffered by Iran’s conventional forces.
“The Revolutionary Guard and the regime’s internal security forces are not going to go quietly into the night,” Johnson said. “They have brutally suppressed opposition in the past.”
Johnson cited reports that tens of thousands of Iranian civilians were killed during past crackdowns on protests, underscoring the regime’s willingness to use extreme force against its own population.
Those factors, he said, complicate the possibility of internal regime change despite the military pressure currently facing Tehran.
The Trump administration has repeatedly stated that the campaign’s objective is to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapons capability and degrade its military infrastructure rather than directly impose regime change. At the same time, officials have said the weakening of the government could create an opportunity for the Iranian people to challenge the ruling regime.
Johnson said that outcome would be difficult given the regime’s internal security apparatus and the absence of an organized opposition movement within the country.
“They’ve been wiping out opposition leaders for years,” Johnson said. “There’s not an organized or armed opposition inside Iran right now.”
Still, Johnson said he supports the decision to take military action against Iran, arguing that the regime’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and expansion of missile capabilities left the United States with few alternatives.
“All they had to do was give up their nuclear ambitions,” Johnson said. “They refused to do that, and they were getting closer and closer.”
The senator also warned that even if the current military operation concludes successfully, the threat posed by Iran will not disappear entirely.
“It’s not like we can walk away and say the problem is solved forever,” Johnson said. “We may have to keep degrading their capabilities over time.”
Johnson compared the situation to ongoing counterterrorism efforts, suggesting that periodic military pressure may be necessary to prevent Iran from rebuilding its military strength.
Beyond the conflict in the Middle East, Johnson also addressed domestic political battles in Washington, particularly the effort to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act.
The legislation would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, a proposal that Johnson said enjoys strong support among American voters but faces significant obstacles in the Senate.
“About 80 percent of Americans support voter ID and election security measures,” Johnson said. “But Democrats are blocking those common-sense controls.”
Johnson said the primary hurdle is the Senate filibuster, which requires 60 votes to advance most legislation. Without Democratic support, Republicans currently lack the votes needed to pass the bill.
He argued that Republicans may eventually need to consider eliminating or weakening the filibuster if they want to move forward with election security legislation.
“If we don’t provide greater security for our elections, we’re going to continue to have problems,” Johnson said.
At the same time, Johnson acknowledged that many Republican senators remain hesitant to abolish the filibuster because it has historically served as a check against sweeping policy changes when the opposing party controls Congress.
The debate reflects broader tensions within the Senate about how aggressively to pursue major policy changes in a closely divided chamber.
Johnson said the most realistic path forward may involve building enough public pressure to force Democrats either to support the legislation or defend their opposition to it.
In the meantime, he suggested that lawmakers should focus on measures that address major national concerns rather than smaller bipartisan bills that have limited real-world impact.
“We’d probably be better off passing fewer laws and focusing on the really important ones,” Johnson said.