US Military Says It Has Struck Nearly 2,000 Targets in Iran as War Escalates

US Military Says It Has Struck Nearly 2,000 Targets in Iran as War Escalates

The United States military says it has struck nearly 2,000 targets inside Iran as part of a large‑scale military campaign launched over the past week, marking one of the most intense offensives in the region in decades. The operation — coordinated with Israel — has rapidly expanded the conflict, drawing in multiple fronts and prompting sharp responses from Tehran.

According to Admiral Brad Cooper, head of United States Central Command (CENTCOM), American forces have carried out sustained day‑and‑night strikes using more than 2,000 munitions against Iranian military and strategic infrastructure. “We’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions,” Cooper said in an operational update, adding that the US has severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones.

The strikes form part of what CENTCOM officials are calling an unprecedented operation, described by some military analysts as the largest build‑up of firepower in the Middle East in a generation. Cooper said the US campaign has targeted a wide range of military assets, including missile batteries and launchers, air defence systems and radar sites, naval vessels — including 17 Iranian ships and a submarine — command and control centres, and drone and UAV facilities. Cooper also asserted that the Iranian navy has been effectively neutralised in key waterways. “Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman,” he said, highlighting the sweeping impacts of the strikes.

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The Pentagon has compared the pace and scale of the initial strikes to the “shock and awe” campaign during the 2003 Iraq invasion, with the number of targets hit in the first 24 hours described as nearly double that earlier offensive. US officials say the current campaign — sometimes referred to as Operation Epic Fury — continues around the clock as forces aim to eliminate Tehran’s ability to project power.

Iran has responded vigorously, launching hundreds of ballistic missiles and thousands of drones at US bases and allied positions across the Gulf region, including strikes against American facilities in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The volatility has sparked fears of a wider regional conflict, with both sides trading increasingly severe attacks. Tehran’s Revolutionary Guard has made conflicting claims about control of strategic waterways like the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that Iran maintains dominance even as US and allied forces press their assault. Independent verification of these claims remains difficult amid the fog of war.

Beyond military dynamics, the conflict has disrupted global energy markets and raised concerns about the safety of key shipping lanes. President Donald Trump has indicated that the US Navy may escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary, aiming to keep energy flows stable and reassure global markets. The massive number of targets hit reflects the breadth of the US strategy, which combines air, naval, missile and cyber capabilities to degrade Iran’s defence posture. CENTCOM has deployed tens of thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, carriers, and bombers to sustain the pressure.

Humanitarian organisations estimate that hundreds of Iranian civilians have been killed, and thousands more injured, as the conflict continues to escalate, drawing international concern over civilian harm and the legal basis for such large‑scale offensive operations. As the military campaign unfolds, analysts warn that the conflict has the potential to widen, involving more actors across the Middle East and prompting further diplomatic and economic fallout.