Middle East
A US Navy EA-18G Growler prepares to launch from an aircraft carrier during Operation Epic Fury on March 15, 2026. Photo: CENTCOM
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US Central Command said Tuesday that its ongoing military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury, has struck more than 9,000 targets since it began late last month to weaken Tehran’s military capabilities.
In a post on X, CENTCOM said that the US forces are “striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat.”
According to the update, more than 9,000 combat flights have been carried out, while at least 140 Iranian vessels have been “damaged or destroyed” in the campaign, which is one of the largest US military operations in the region in recent years.
CENTCOM said a wide array of air, sea, and land assets have been deployed in the campaign, including B-2 stealth bombers, F-35 fighter jets, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, and Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems.
The US military said the strikes have targeted a broad range of sites across Iran, including command and control centers, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters and intelligence facilities, ballistic missile and drone production sites, air defense systems, and naval assets.
The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, an offensive that resulted in the deaths of several Iranian leaders, including longtime Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (1939–2026), along with other top military officials.
In response, Iran and allied armed groups have continued to carry out missile and drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US military and diplomatic sites across the region, including in the Kurdistan Region.
Earlier this month, Iran said it launched more than 2,000 drones and over 600 missiles targeting US and Israeli positions in the region, especially in Gulf Arab states, as part of its multi-front response, titled Operation True Promise 4.
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