Since the United States and Israel began their joint offensive against Iran on February 28, the United States has targeted and taken out more than 60 Iranian ships, a development CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper described as weakening Iran’s naval combat power.

The update underscores the intensity and scale of what U.S. officials are calling Operation Epic Fury.

As the war enters its 12th day, Cooper posted updates on X about the ongoing American attacks in Iran.

He noted that the operation is moving through multiple locations and directions, with strikes occurring across a broad front in a sustained campaign.

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The cadence of the strikes reflects a plan designed to degrade Iran’s ability to project power at sea and along key supply routes.

“We also took out the last of four Soleimani-class warships,” Cooper said.

“That’s an entire class of Iranian ships now out of the fight.”

The declaration marks what officials describe as a significant depletion of Iran’s front-line naval assets. Analysts have highlighted that the Soleimani-class represented a notable capability in Iran’s maritime arsenal, making the reported loss a strategic blow for Tehran.

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The first of the guided missile Iranian catamarans were delivered to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy in 2022, and were the first Iranian warships to possess vertical launch systems capable of medium-range surface-to-air missiles, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.

This detail helps explain why the ships are viewed as a meaningful component of Iran’s naval doctrine and why their loss is considered a consequential setback for Iran’s maritime ambitions.

To date, the United States has struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, according to Cooper. The scale of targets cited illustrates what officials describe as a broad and comprehensive campaign aimed at degrading Iran’s military infrastructure.

At the same time, the operation’s leadership emphasizes that the goal is not only to neutralize ships but to disrupt Iran’s broader defense industrial base.

The offensive assault, Cooper indicated, is far from over. He described the strikes on March 10 as “strike waves nearly every hour from different locations and directions going into Iran,” with the U.S. bomber force taking out a large ballistic missile manufacturing facility.

The characterization of recurring strike waves signals an approach intended to complicate Iranian planning and routine defense activities.

The military notices came amid reports that a broader set of targets is under consideration. The campaign has drawn attention to the resilience and complexity of modern air and sea operations, which rely on coordinated actions across aviation and naval units.

Officials have stressed that the objective remains clear: end Iran’s ability to project power and harass shipping.

The operation’s effects have extended into commercial sea lanes as well. On Wednesday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations announced on X that three shipping vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz were hit by an unknown projectile.

The incident has raised concerns about safety and the potential for escalation in a critical chokepoint for international trade and energy markets.

CENTCOM issued a warning several hours after the incident, cautioning civilians that the Iranian regime was using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz to conduct military operations.

“Civilian ports used for military purposes lose protected status and become legitimate military targets under international law,” a CENTCOM press release said.

The statement reflects the delicate balance of protecting civilians while pursuing strategic aims in a volatile theater.

Iran’s own narratives have warned that vessels traversing the Strait would be met with lethal force.

A high-ranking member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned last week that any vessels traveling through the 100-mile long sea passage would be targeted and met with lethal force, according to Iranian media.

The rhetoric underscores the high tension surrounding the waterway and the potential for miscalculation.

Since Operation Epic Fury began on February 28, roughly 140 troops have been wounded — eight severely — the Pentagon announced Tuesday. Seven service members have been killed in action so far.

The casualty figures include six deaths when an Iranian one-way attack drone struck a makeshift operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait on March 1, and another service member died on March 8 after succumbing to injuries sustained on March 1 when Iran attacked Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

The toll highlights the high human costs that accompany rapid, sustained conflict, even as leaders emphasize strategic objectives and the long-term implications for regional security.

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