Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney at sea during Operation Epic Fury on March 12, 2026. (U.S. Navy)
The U.S. military has destroyed more than 100 Iranian naval vessels, and “we aren’t done,” the leader of U.S. Central Command said Monday.
Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, provided an update following the 16th day of Operation Epic Fury in a video posted on X.
“To date, our Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aviators have collectively flown more than 6,000 combat flights,” Cooper said. The U.S. has continued targeting Iran’s ballistic missiles, drones and naval threats.
The post comes after U.S. forces struck more than 90 targets on Iran’s Kharg Island on Friday. The small coral island about 21 miles off Iran’s coast is the primary terminal through which nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass.
President Donald Trump on Friday in a post on Truth Social said “for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” but that the decision would be reconsidered if transit through the Strait of Hormuz continues to be threatened.
That was followed by a Saturday morning post in which the president said “many countries” would be sending warships in conjunction with the U.S. “to keep the Strait open and safe.”
CENTCOM’s post on Saturday, which included a video montage, noted that strikes hit military targets, like “naval mine storage facilities, missile storage bunkers,” while also “preserving the oil infrastructure.”
“Great update. Media should take note,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X on Monday when reposting CENTCOM’s message.
The U.S. and Israel launched extensive strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 after months of stalled negotiations over the country’s nuclear program. Monday marked the 17th day of the operation.
Thirteen service members have been killed as of Friday, including six in the crash of a KC-135 refueling aircraft.
“I want to remember and honor our fallen warriors who made the ultimate sacrifice in the KC-135 refueling aircraft incident last week,” Cooper said. “We hold their memories, their families, their friends and their teammates in our prayers. Their selfless service and dedication hardens our resolve.”
More than 2,000 Marines and at least one warship are headed from the Pacific to the Middle East, multiple news outlets reported Friday.
One U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that roughly 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to deploy.
Tripoli would join the world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of an armada of American warships, stealth fighters and air defense systems in the region. About 50,000 troops have been deployed.
