The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released an update on the United States’ Operation Epic Fury in Iran. According to the latest US statement, nearly 2,000 targets have been hit since the attacks began on Saturday, February 28.
CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper claimed the US had destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including a submarine. “More than 50,000 troops, 200 fighters, two aircraft carriers and bombers from the United States are involved in this operation, and more capabilities are on the way,” Admiral Brad Cooper can be heard saying in a video message posted on X.
He called it the largest U.S. military in the Middle East in a generation and referenced the U.S. invasion of Iraq, noting that they launched almost twice as many attacks on Iran as they did in the “shock and awe” bombings in the early stages of the 2003 military campaign.
Brad Cooper added: “We have seriously degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles, launchers and drones.”
According to the head of CENTCOM, Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks. He criticized Tehran’s future capabilities due to continued attacks on its missiles and launchers, saying Iran faced a “persistent launch capability”.
Brad Cooper indicated that the United States’ warfighting capabilities are advanced and far superior to Iran’s, saying, “We see Iran’s ability to strike us and our partners diminishing while our combat power on the other side grows. And my overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan.”
The Iran war escalated after the US and Israel jointly launched missile attacks on Iran on February 28. US President Donald Trump described the military operation as a “major combat operation” in a post on Truth Social, calling it “Operation Epic Fury”. Israel, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, has suggested that the ongoing “Operation Roaring Lion” bombing campaign is to counter “existential threats” from Iran.
In this US-Israeli strike, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched retaliatory strikes as part of “Operation True Promise 4”.
Some of the fighters deployed in the conflict, as listed by CENTCOM, are listed below:
Missile defense systems used by the US
- Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) Aircraft: Used for battlespace command, control and control.
- P-8 Poseidon: Used for naval patrol and reconnaissance
- Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile systems are used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles and drones.
In addition, they maintain the logistics flow of refueling aircraft and ships, anti-drone systems, nuclear aircraft carriers, C-17 Globemaster, C-130 Hercules and other special capabilities. Additionally, the USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike groups provide massive naval power.
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