ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in under 100 hours during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), said early Wednesday, highlighting the intensity of the military campaign against Tehran.
“Our military in the Middle East is undertaking an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran's ability to threaten Americans, as they've been doing for nearly half a century,” Cooper said, adding that more than "50,000 troops, 200 fighters, two aircraft carriers, and bombers" from the US are participating in the operation.
Noting that additional capabilities en route, Cooper described the buildup as "the largest buildup by the U.S. in the Middle East in a generation."
"We continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace," he added.
The US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Saturday, killing dozens of senior officials, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Tehran has vowed retaliation, threatening to target regional countries that host US military bases, including the Kurdistan Region.
Iranian media reported early Wednesday that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had conducted three ground operations in the Kurdistan Region and Kuwait and launched 230 drones targeting opposition groups, adding that Tehran’s forces would continue to punish these groups.