Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The commander of United States Central Command, Brad Cooper, said American forces have destroyed 17 Iranian naval vessels as part of ongoing military operations in the Middle East.
In a recorded message published Tuesday on the platform X, Cooper said U.S. forces are carrying out what he described as “uncontested surgical strikes” using B-2 and B-1 strategic bombers.
“Simply put, we are focused on destroying anything that can shoot at us,” he said.
Cooper added that U.S. operations are significantly degrading Iran’s naval capabilities. “We are also sinking the Iranian navy the entire navy,” he said, claiming that among the damaged vessels was Iran’s most operationally ready submarine, which he said had been critically hit.
According to the CENTCOM commander, no Iranian ships are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, or the Gulf of Oman. He pledged that U.S. operations would continue.
The admiral also said Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones since the conflict escalated, but argued that Tehran’s ability to strike U.S. forces is diminishing.
Iranian authorities have not publicly confirmed the U.S. claims, and independent verification of battlefield losses remains limited as the regional confrontation continues to intensify.
