Military officials say the opening phase of U.S. operations against Iran has halted Iranian naval activity in key regional waterways while hundreds of strikes continue against military infrastructure.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. military operations targeting Iran have destroyed 17 Iranian naval vessels, including a submarine, and struck nearly 2,000 military targets during the opening phase of the campaign ordered by President Donald Trump, according to new figures released by American military officials.
The assessment came from U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Brad Cooper, who said the scale of the strikes has effectively halted Iranian naval operations across several critical waterways in the Middle East.
In remarks delivered in a video statement and reported by Reuters, Cooper said Iranian ships were no longer operating in key maritime corridors following the early waves of U.S. strikes.
“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper said.
U.S. Central Command has stated that the campaign is targeting Iranian command-and-control infrastructure, air-defense systems, missile and drone launch facilities and other military assets tied to attacks on U.S. personnel and regional allies.
According to reporting by Stars and Stripes, U.S. forces have used a wide mix of military assets during the early phase of the operation, including aircraft, naval vessels, missiles and unmanned drones. Early in the campaign, American forces had already surpassed 1,000 strike missions as additional targets were added to the operational list.
President Trump has publicly described the offensive as severely degrading Iran’s military capacity. In remarks cited by Time, Trump said the pace of the operation has effectively “knocked out” much of Tehran’s ability to wage conventional warfare, including significant portions of its navy, air force, radar systems and air-defense networks.
Additional reports from Military Times and Axios said the president previously noted that U.S. forces destroyed nine Iranian naval vessels and significantly damaged the headquarters of Iran’s navy, describing the maritime component of the operation as a major setback for the country’s ability to project power in the region.
The White House has not released a specific timeline for how long the campaign will continue. Administration officials have generally said the operation will proceed until Iranian capabilities threatening Americans and allied nations are neutralized.
Reporting by The Guardian cited comments from Trump suggesting the operation could continue for approximately four weeks, though officials emphasized the timeframe could change depending on the scale of Iranian retaliation.
Military analysts cited in international coverage of the conflict say Iran may attempt to extend the confrontation through missile attacks, drone strikes and proxy forces even if its conventional military systems have been significantly weakened.
Evidence of Iranian retaliation has already emerged across multiple countries in the Middle East. The U.S. State Department said Sunday in a joint statement with Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that Iran had launched missile and drone attacks across the region following the American and Israeli strikes.
Reports from Al Jazeera indicated explosions and air-defense activity were recorded in several Gulf cities including Dubai, Doha and Manama during ongoing Iranian retaliatory operations targeting U.S. and allied positions.
ABC News reported that the United States temporarily closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait after escalating attacks in the region. U.S. officials cited by the outlet said Iranian drones struck near the American Embassy compound in Riyadh.
According to reporting by The Washington Post, a State Department internal alert described structural damage to the U.S. Embassy facility in Riyadh following what officials said was a drone strike.
Additional reports from The Guardian said Iranian missile and drone attacks have targeted multiple U.S. and allied installations across the Gulf, while a drone strike near the U.S. consulate in Dubai triggered emergency security responses.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has publicly claimed responsibility for strikes targeting U.S. positions in the region. Reporting by Al-Monitor said the organization stated its retaliation extended across several Gulf countries hosting American forces.
The expanding geographic scope of Iranian missile and drone attacks has reinforced the Trump administration’s argument that the military campaign is aimed at preventing a broader regional threat to the United States and its allies.