Tampa, Florida, March 4 (ANI): The United States’ Operation Epic Fury entered its fourth day with intensified strikes, even as Iran continued retaliatory attacks targeting US assets in the Gulf region.
On Tuesday (local time), Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of the United States Central Command, said the US would press ahead with operations and asserted that Iran’s capacity to respond was diminishing rapidly.
“Now, we’re less than 100 hours into this operation, and we’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones. In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,” Cooper said.
He added that US B-2 and B-1 bombers had carried out what he described as uncontested surgical strikes against multiple missile facilities deep inside Iran. “Just last night, a B-52 bomber force struck ballistic missile and command-and-control posts,” he said.
Admiral Cooper further claimed that no Iranian naval vessels were currently operational in the Arabian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are also sinking the Iranian Navy — the entire navy. Thus far, we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine, that now has a hole in its side. For decades, the Iranian regime has harassed international shipping. Today, there’s not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman. And we will not stop. We will continue to conduct dynamic targeting operations. We’re hunting Iran’s last remaining mobile ballistic missile launchers to eliminate what I would characterize as their lingering launch capability,” he said.
According to Cooper, US forces are ahead of their operational timeline, while Iran’s retaliatory capability is weakening.
“In retaliation, the Iranian regime has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones. To be clear, Iran is indiscriminately targeting civilians as they launch these missiles and drones. You’ve seen it on TV; the evidence is crystal clear and overwhelming. Having said this, we are seeing Iran’s ability to hit us and our partners is declining, while our combat power, on the other hand, is building. My overall operational assessment is that we are ahead of our game plan,” he stated.
He added that every branch of the US military was achieving what he termed unprecedented success.
Admiral Cooper also said that the US and Israeli air forces were dominating the skies, with one-way attack drones playing a significant role. “U.S. Air Forces are doing what they do best: executing a high volume of air strikes right into Iran. Operationally, the two most powerful air forces in the world, the U.S. and Israel, are dominating the skies over the world’s largest state sponsor of terror,” he said.
He noted that for the first time, CENTCOM’s drone task force, Task Force Scorpion Strike, had launched numerous one-way attack drones, achieving what he described as substantial operational effects.
“Our military objectives are crystal clear, and our people are executing an immensely complex and historic mission with relentless lethality, conviction, and professionalism. And we’ve just begun. But I have the utmost confidence that we, alongside our partners, will absolutely achieve our military objectives,” he added.
Despite these assertions, Iran’s counterattacks have continued. Fox News, citing a source, reported that a CIA station inside the US Embassy compound in Riyadh was struck in a drone attack. According to the report, two drones caused structural damage and smoke inside the compound, though there were no immediate reports of injuries.
Separately, a fire that broke out near the premises of the US Consulate General in Dubai late Tuesday night following a suspected drone strike has been fully extinguished, with authorities confirming no injuries.
Dubai authorities stated that emergency teams responded immediately and successfully contained the fire resulting from the drone-related incident near the consulate.
The conflict in West Asia has now entered its fourth day following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran that reportedly killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. In response, Tehran has launched counter-strikes targeting American military bases and Israeli assets across the region, further escalating tensions. (ANI)
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