The commander of the U.S. forces prosecuting Operation Epic Fury has given an update on progress towards President Trump’s plan to “annihilate” the Iranian Navy.
In a briefing delivered overnight via U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM)’s account on social media platform X, Commander Admiral Brad Cooper gave a detailed and wide-ranging update on the operation.
He said: “We are also sinking the Iranian Navy. The entire Navy. Thusfar, 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 is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman, and we will not stop.”
He added: “Our naval forces have deployed multiple waves of cruise missiles, obliterating Iranian command and control and air defence capabilities.
“From two aircraft carrier strike groups we’re squeezing Iran from the sea and have them backed into their own ports.”
Cdr Cooper said the first 24 hours of the operation, which started off using 50,000 troops, two aircraft carriers and 200 fighters and bombers, had been roughly twice the size of the “shock and awe” campaign that had kicked off engagements in Iraq in 2003.
Nearly 2,000 targets had already been struck, and more capabilities were being brought to bear, he said. He added: “We have severely degraded Iran’s air defences 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.”
In a separate statement President Trump suggested that U.S. Navy ships could start escorting commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz to guarantee their safety.
The flow of crude tankers through the strait came to a halt as soon as hostilities, missiles and drone attacks began, and oil prices have spiked as a result. Insurance providers have been reportedly cancelling war-risk coverage for ships in the Persian Gulf.
“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” President Trump posted on his platform Truth Social on Tuesday.
However, analysts have suggested providing cover through the Strait of Hormuz can present a bigger challenge than similar escort operations in the Red Sea.
The U-bend shape of the channel means attacks can be launched from a wider arc: defensive sweeps need to cover roughly 270 degrees of a circle, rather than just left or right flanks. Also, Iranian capabilities are widely regarded as more sophisticated, and the proximity to shore means missile reaction times in particular are low.
- You can check the latest Operation Epic Fury updates online via CENTOM’s X account