Destroyed: 17 Iranian Navy ships, including 1 submarine, says US admiral
'Epic Fury' update: US Admiral Brad Cooper reports destruction of Iranian Navy
The US has delivered “overwhelming and unprecedented” strikes into Iran in the first 100 hours of "Operation Epic Fury", the US commander in charge of combat operations in the region said.
To put things in perspective, Admiral Brad Cooper said the initial 24 hours of the February 28 Iran strikes were double the scale of “Shock-and-Awe” strikes on 2003 in Iraq.
“We continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace,” Cooper said.
Nearly 2,000 targets have been hit so far.
"We have severely degraded Iran's air defences and destroyed hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers and drones," Cooper added.
'Entire Iranian Navy' sinking
"In simple terms, we're focussed on shooting all the things that can shoot at us... We're also sinking the Iranian Navy, the entire navy."
Trump cited earlier that the US military destroyed nine "relatively large and important" ships, vowing to send the rest to the ocean floor.
Cooper, in the latest update, said 17 Iranian ships had either been destroyed or sunk, including Iran's most operational submarine.
Key highlights of sunken Iranian vessels include:
IRIS Makran (441): This massive converted oil tanker, serving as an expeditionary base, was heavily damaged at Bandar Abbas pier, rendering it inoperable.
IRIS Shahid Bagheri (C110-4): Iran's newest drone and helicopter carrier, commissioned just a year prior, was struck and sunk early in the operation. navalnews.com
Jamaran-class frigates: Multiple from this class, including possibly IRINS Jamaran (F76), were targeted and sunk, with one confirmed sinking at Chah Bahar pier.
Alvand-class and Bayandor-class frigates: Vessels like IRIS Sahand, IRIS Sabalan, IRIS Bayandor, and IRIS Naghdi are believed sunk or damaged based on satellite imagery and analyst reports.
Kaman-class vessels: Additional corvettes from this class suffered hits.
Submarine sunk
On the submarine front, Iran's limited fleet took heavy blows. A Fateh-class coastal submarine was sunk near Bandar Abbas.
CENTCOM highlighted strikes on midget subs and Kilo-class boats, with the most operational submarine now holed and disabled.
Kilo-class assets like IRINS Taregh (S901) were present during attacks, with damage assessments ongoing.
These strikes, involving B-2 bombers, F-35 jets, and Tomahawk missiles, have crippled Iran's ability to threaten international shipping.
The operation underscores America's commitment to regional security amid Iran's blatant aggression and random retaliation.
On Day 4 of the war, the Iranian Navy's remnants float as stark warnings of the US military operation's unrelenting firepower.
