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US Bombers Hit 200 Iranian Targets, Claim 90% Drop in Missile Attacks

US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper announced that American forces have struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran over three days, severely degrading its missile and drone capabilities. The operation, dubbed Epic Fury, has reportedly reduced Iranian ballistic missile attacks by 90% and drone attacks by 83%. Cooper stated the mission has expanded to systematically dismantle Iran's ballistic missile industrial base on orders from President Trump. The strikes follow escalating tensions after a US-Israel attack resulted in the death of Iran's Supreme Leader, triggering retaliatory attacks from Tehran.

Key Points: US Strikes 200 Targets in Iran, Degrades Missile Capability

  • 200 targets hit in 72 hours
  • Missile attacks down 90%
  • Targeting Iran's production infrastructure
  • Using reverse-engineered Iranian drones
2 min read

"Bomber force struck nearly 200 targets deep inside Iran", says US Central Command Chief

US Central Command details Operation Epic Fury, reporting 200 strikes inside Iran, a 90% drop in missile attacks, and a mission to dismantle Tehran's missile industry.

"We're not just hitting what they have, we're destroying their ability to rebuild. - Admiral Brad Cooper"

Washington DC, March 6

United States Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper has said that America has struck nearly 200 targets inside Iran over the past 72 hours and significantly degraded Tehran's missile and drone attack capabilities, adding that they are now working to dismantle Iran's missile production infrastructure.

Speaking during a press conference on Thursday (local time), Cooper detailed the scale of the ongoing military operation titled 'Operation Epic Fury' targeting Iranian missile launchers and infrastructure.

"In just the last 72 hours, America's bomber force has struck nearly 200 targets deep inside of Iran. In just the last hour, U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers dropped dozens of 2,000lb Penetrator bombs targeting deeply buried ballistic missile launchers," Cooper said.

He said the strikes have sharply reduced the scale of Iranian retaliatory attacks since the operation began. "If I just look back over the last 24 hours of the operation compared to where we were to start, ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 per cent...drone attacks have decreased by 83 per cent... we're now up over 30 ships [destroyed]," he added.

Cooper also said the 'Operation Epic Fury' has expanded beyond immediate strikes to targeting the long-term capacity of Iran's missile programme, following instructions from US President Donald Trump.

"President Trump gave us another task to raze or level Iran's ballistic missile industrial base," he said.

"We're not just hitting what they have, we're destroying their ability to rebuild. We will systemically dismantle Iran's missile production capability for the future, and that's absolutely in progress," Cooper added.

The CENTCOM chief also highlighted a programme involving a captured Iranian drone design that has been reverse-engineered and redeployed by US forces.

"LUCAS -- indispensable...This was an original Iranian drone design. We captured it, pulled the guts out, sent it back to America, put a little 'Made in America' on it, brought it back here, and we're shooting it at the Iranians, Cooper said.

His remarks come amid escalating tensions in West Asia after a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 on Iranian territory resulted in the death of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior figures, prompting a fierce response from Tehran.

In retaliation, Iran launched waves of drone and missile attacks targeting American military bases across multiple Arab countries as the conflict now entered its sixth day.

Israel is also continuing its strikes on Tehran and widening the conflict to Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The bragging about reverse-engineering the drone and putting 'Made in America' on it is in such poor taste. It shows this is about humiliation as much as military objectives. The human cost on all sides must be horrific. My heart goes out to all civilians caught in the middle. 🙏
R
Rohit P
Oil prices are going to skyrocket again. This directly hits our economy. The government needs to have a clear diplomatic stance and fast-track any alternate supply routes. We cannot afford another economic shock because of a war far away.
S
Sarah B
From a strategic perspective, degrading missile capabilities might bring short-term de-escalation, but "razing the industrial base" sounds like an occupation plan. This won't end terrorism or extremism; it will fuel it for generations. A terrible, short-sighted strategy.
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Vikram M
Operation Epic Fury? More like Operation Epic Disaster in the making. The US and Israel started this by assassinating a head of state on his own soil. What did they expect? Now they're boasting about destruction. This is how world wars start. India must call for an immediate ceasefire at the UN.
K
Karthik V
The immediate concern is for our diaspora. There are lakhs of Indians in the UAE, Saudi, Qatar. Our embassies need to be on high alert and have evacuation plans ready. Safety of our people comes first.

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