U.S. Strikes Nearly 2,000 Targets in Iran

CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper described the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury as “nearly double the scale” of the 2003 Iraq shock-and-awe campaign. Over 100 hours into the operation, U.S. and Israeli forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets using more than 2,000 munitions. The campaign has severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones, Cooper said.

More than 200 fighter jets, along with B-2, B-1, and B-52 bombers, conducted strikes against deep Iranian missile sites and command centers. Naval operations destroyed 17 Iranian vessels, including a submarine. “There is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper noted, emphasizing maritime dominance.

Operation Epic Fury has involved over 50,000 U.S. troops, two carrier strike groups, and long-range bombers in the largest U.S. military buildup in the Middle East in a generation. The campaign has also marked the first combat use of Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) systems and LUCAS kamikaze drones. CENTCOM’s Scorpion Strike drone task force is dominating Iran’s airspace, Cooper said, and coalition forces continue dynamic targeting of mobile Iranian missile launchers.

Iran has responded with more than 500 ballistic missile launches and over 2,000 drone attacks. Cooper described these Iranian strikes as indiscriminately targeting civilians, though he asserted that “Tehran's ability to strike U.S. forces and partners is declining.”

Cooper stated, “My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan.” U.S. and Israeli forces continue 24/7 strikes across domains—from seabed to space and cyberspace. The focus remains on neutralizing Iran’s remaining mobile missile capabilities and maintaining operational superiority. Trump administration officials have told Congress to expect an even larger wave of strikes in the coming days.