Defense leaders report thousands of strikes and declining Iranian combat capacity as operations continue across the region.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Senior U.S. defense officials said the ongoing military campaign against Iran has significantly reduced the country’s ability to project force, citing sustained operations targeting key military assets and infrastructure.
According to a detailed report, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said U.S. forces are achieving their objectives, stating, “we’re winning decisively” in the campaign against Iran’s ruling government.
President Donald Trump announced in late February that U.S. and Israeli forces had launched coordinated strikes against Iran, including actions that resulted in the death of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, as described in a prior statement. Officials said operations have since focused on dismantling missile systems, drone production sites, naval assets, and facilities tied to Iran’s defense industry and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“Epic Fury is different. It’s laser-focused. It’s decisive,” Hegseth said during a press conference, according to a published transcript. “Our objectives, given directly from our America-first president, remain exactly what they were on day one… destroy missiles, launchers and Iran’s defense industrial base so they cannot rebuild or destroy their navy and Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.” He added, “We’re winning decisively and on our terms.”
Trump also indicated in a separate post that the campaign is approaching its goals, writing that the United States is “getting very close to meeting our objectives” as it considers winding down military operations.
U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper provided an operational update in a recent statement, saying, “On day 22 of combat operations, U.S. forces continue to take bold action and remain on plan to eliminate Iran’s ability to project meaningful power outside its borders.”
Cooper said U.S. forces have conducted more than 8,000 combat flights and struck over 8,000 targets, including approximately 130 Iranian naval vessels. “Iran has lost significant combat capability over the last three weeks,” he said. “Their navy is not sailing, their tactical fighters are not flying, and they have lost the ability to launch missiles and drones at high rates seen at the beginning of the conflict.”
Additional details released by CENTCOM in earlier updates and briefings outlined strikes on command centers, missile systems, air defenses, naval assets, and weapons production facilities.
Hegseth said Iranian leadership roles within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij paramilitary forces have become increasingly unstable. “We’re hunting and striking death and destruction from above,” he said, adding that Iran’s air defenses and production infrastructure have been “overwhelmingly destroyed.” He described senior positions within those organizations as “temp jobs.”
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. operations are expanding deeper into Iranian territory, according to remarks in the same briefing. “Each day we continue to attack deeper into Iranian territory,” Caine said, noting efforts to disrupt missile and drone capabilities and eliminate threats beyond Iran’s borders.
Caine also confirmed the use of additional aircraft in the campaign, including the A-10 Warthog and AH-64 Apaches, which have been deployed to target maritime threats and drone operations near the Strait of Hormuz.
Cooper said land-based forces have also contributed, noting in the same update that the U.S. Army recently conducted what he described as the longest field artillery strike in its history using precision missiles.
The campaign has also focused on neutralizing threats to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump outlined U.S. objectives in a separate statement, including degrading missile capabilities, dismantling defense infrastructure, eliminating naval and air forces, preventing nuclear development, and protecting regional allies.
Cooper said recent strikes included the use of heavy munitions against underground facilities along Iran’s coastline that were used to store anti-ship missiles and related equipment. He added that additional targets included intelligence and radar systems used to track shipping movements.
Despite the reported degradation of Iran’s capabilities, officials said the country retains some ability to conduct attacks. The Institute for the Study of War noted in a recent assessment that Iran continued launching missile barrages and drone attacks, though at reduced levels.
“Ballistic missile attacks against our forces, down 90 percent since the start of the conflict,” Hegseth said during the briefing. “Now the Iranians will still shoot… but they would shoot a lot more if they could, but they can’t.”
Trump previously warned in a State of the Union address that Iran had developed missiles capable of threatening U.S. interests abroad and potentially the United States itself.
A recent report indicated Iran launched intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward a U.S.-U.K. base in the Indian Ocean, though neither missile struck the target.
Iranian officials have disputed claims about their capabilities. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in an earlier interview that it was “misinformation” to suggest Iran is developing longer-range missiles, stating the country has limited its range to below 2,000 kilometers.
However, prior analysis from Iran Watch indicated Iran may possess missile systems capable of reaching significantly greater distances.
In a separate message, Trump said Iran had “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions” and warned of continued risks if the program were allowed to advance.
Military officials said operations remain ongoing as the U.S. continues efforts to reduce Iran’s capacity to conduct attacks and influence regional stability.
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