The Pentagon has pulled back the curtain on the sheer magnitude of America’s war machine — and the numbers are staggering.
In a landmark operational briefing released Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper revealed that Operation Epic Fury has struck nearly 2,000 Iranian targets using more than 2,000 precision munitions in less than 100 hours — making the opening phase of this campaign nearly double the scale of the 2003 “Shock and Awe” strikes that launched the Iraq War.
But Iran is punching back. Hours after the briefing, a ballistic missile struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar — the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East — marking a dramatic escalation in Tehran’s retaliatory campaign. Qatar’s Defense Ministry confirmed one missile was intercepted while a second hit the base, though no casualties were reported.
The Biggest U.S. Military Deployment in a Generation
Admiral Cooper laid out the full scope of the American deployment: more than 50,000 U.S. troops, 200 fighter aircraft, two aircraft carriers, and a fleet of strategic bombers including B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, B-1B Lancers, and B-52 Stratofortresses are now engaged in round-the-clock operations against Iran.
“More capabilities are on the way,” Cooper warned, signaling that the U.S. is preparing to intensify operations rather than wind them down.
The results so far are devastating for Iran’s military infrastructure:
- Nearly 2,000 targets struck across Iran
- Hundreds of ballistic missiles, launchers, and drones destroyed
- 17 Iranian naval vessels sunk or destroyed, including Iran’s most operational submarine — left with “a hole in its side”
- Iranian air defenses severely degraded
- Zero Iranian ships remain underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman
“In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,” Cooper said bluntly.
B-2 stealth bombers conducted uncontested surgical strikes deep inside Iran, targeting missile production facilities, while B-52 strike packages hit Iranian missile command-and-control positions. In a historic first, the U.S. Army deployed Precision Strike Missiles (PRISMs) in combat, delivering long-range deep strikes against hardened targets.
Iran Hits Back Hard — Al Udeid, Embassies, and Gulf States Under Fire
Despite the pounding, Iran is fighting back with everything it has. CENTCOM reports that Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones since the conflict began on February 28.
The most alarming development Tuesday was the ballistic missile strike on Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts CENTCOM’s forward headquarters and thousands of American service personnel. Qatar confirmed the strike, noting that its air defenses intercepted one of two incoming missiles.
Iranian retaliatory strikes have now hit targets in nine countries: Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Oman. Tehran has targeted U.S. military bases, diplomatic compounds, and civilian infrastructure across the region.
On Monday, drones struck the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Another drone attack caused a fire near the U.S. consulate in Dubai. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait was also hit by Iranian strikes.
In response, the United States closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Lebanon indefinitely. The State Department evacuated the large U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, after receiving threats. Embassies in Iraq, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE are operating with skeleton staffs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged all Americans in the Middle East to leave immediately, though many are finding it nearly impossible — airports across the Gulf remain closed, and commercial flights are extremely limited. The State Department said it has been in contact with nearly 3,000 Americans abroad and is working on charter and military aircraft for evacuations.
Israel Launches Fresh ‘Broad Wave’ of Strikes
As Admiral Cooper was briefing the world on CENTCOM’s progress, Israel announced its own massive escalation. The Israeli military said early Wednesday (local time) that it had “begun a broad wave of strikes” targeting Iran’s launch sites, aerial defense systems, and additional infrastructure.
Israel has conducted more than 60 attack waves since the conflict began, hitting missile systems and striking Iran’s central military command headquarters in Tehran. Israeli forces also pushed deeper into southern Lebanon to counter Hezbollah rocket fire, opening a multi-front campaign.
In a parallel operation, Israel launched coordinated cyberattacks on Iranian infrastructure, hacking media outlets and phone apps. The popular BadeSaba Calendar prayer app — used by millions of Iranians — was compromised to display messages urging Iranians to rise up against their government, according to The Wall Street Journal. Israel also reportedly hacked Iran’s traffic cameras to track the movements of key military leaders before targeted strikes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against criticism in a Fox News interview with Sean Hannity, declaring: “This is not an endless war.”
U.S. Death Toll Rises, Trump Warns of Weeks-Long Campaign
The human cost is mounting. Six U.S. service members have been killed since Operation Epic Fury began, with four now publicly identified. President Trump acknowledged more casualties are likely.
Trump’s timeline for the conflict has shifted since it began. He initially told the Daily Mail it could take “four weeks, or less,” then told The New York Times four to five weeks. On Tuesday, he warned it could go “far longer” if necessary.
The president outlined three core objectives: destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, annihilating their navy, and preventing them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He has also called for regime change — a goal that raised alarms on Capitol Hill.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer exited a classified briefing with Trump administration officials and said he “found their answers completely and totally insufficient,” adding that the session “raised more questions” about the military operations.
Secretary of State Rubio offered a different justification for the strikes, saying the U.S. acted after learning Israel was planning its own attack on Iran — and Washington decided to join rather than let Israel go it alone.
Markets Reel, Oil Spikes as Strait of Hormuz Shuts Down
The economic shockwaves are rippling across the globe. The S&P 500 tumbled 2%, the Dow dropped 786 points (1.5%), and the Nasdaq plunged 2.15% on Tuesday as investors fled risk assets.
Crude oil spiked 8%, with Brent rising above $5 per barrel in a single session. U.S. gas prices jumped 30% to a three-year high. A senior commander from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards declared that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and warned that any vessel attempting to transit the waterway would be targeted.
About one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making Iran’s threat a direct economic weapon against the West. QatarEnergy has halted LNG production indefinitely, and Emirates airline only just resumed its first departure from Dubai since the attacks began — a single flight to Mumbai.
Trump responded by announcing the U.S. would provide insurance for commercial shipping in the Gulf and escort tankers through contested waters — an extraordinary wartime measure not seen since the 1980s “Tanker War” with Iran.
What Comes Next
Admiral Cooper’s message was clear: the U.S. is just getting started. “Iran’s ability to hit us and our partners is declining, while our combat power is building,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran has formed an Interim Leadership Council after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes. Top security official Ali Larijani accused the U.S. and Israel of trying to dismantle the Iranian state.
With satellite imagery confirming fresh damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, more than 1,300 Iranian military personnel reported killed, and civilian casualties rising — the Red Crescent reported 201 civilian deaths and 747 injuries in just the first day — this conflict is reshaping the Middle East at a speed and scale not seen in decades.
The UN has urged restraint from all parties. But with 50,000 American troops deployed, Israel launching wave after wave of strikes, and Iran firing ballistic missiles at the largest U.S. base in the region, restraint appears to be the last thing on anyone’s mind.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.