13,000 strikes, 13 US troops killed in war with Iran​

Washington: The United States struck more than 13,000 targets during Operation Epic Fury, in a massive military campaign that also left 13 American service members dead, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.​

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine said the scale of operations reflected the intensity and reach of the campaign.​

“Since the beginning of major combat operations, the United States joint forces struck more than 13,000 targets,” he said.​

Of these, more than 4,000 were dynamic battlefield targets that emerged in real time and were “immediately addressed” through rapid command-and-control systems.​

The operation involved more than 10,000 missions, including 62 bomber sorties, some lasting over 30 hours round-trip from the United States to strike Iranian targets.​

“No other military in the world can do that,” Caine said, calling it a testament to US logistical capability.​

The campaign targeted a wide range of Iranian military infrastructure. US forces destroyed more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, 801 drone storage sites, and over 1,500 air defence targets, eliminating around 80 per cent of Iran’s air defence systems.​

Caine said the operation also dismantled Iran’s command and control networks, striking more than 2,000 nodes and severely degrading its ability to coordinate military responses.​

“We’ve devastated Iran’s command and control and logistical networks,” he said.

​Naval operations were equally extensive. The US said it had sunk more than 90 per cent of Iran’s fleet, including major surface combatants, and destroyed over 95 per cent of its naval mines through more than 700 strikes.​

The scale of destruction extended to Iran’s defence industry. Around 90 per cent of its weapons factories were struck, including facilities producing drones and missile components.​

“Nearly 80 per cent of Iran’s nuclear industrial base was hit,” Caine said.​

The operation required the deployment of more than 50,000 US personnel across the Central Command theatre and supporting bases. Troops consumed millions of meals and operated continuously for over five weeks.​

Caine said the statistics only partly captured the realities of combat.​

“This is gritty and unforgiving business… chaotic, hot, dark, unpredictable,” he said.​

Amid the operational success, the Pentagon acknowledged the loss of 13 US service members during the campaign.​

“We never forget our fallen and their families… especially those 13 fallen from Operation Epic Fury,” Caine said.​

He said their sacrifice underscored the risks faced by troops even in a campaign described as highly effective.​

The Pentagon said the operation has significantly weakened Iran’s ability to project power in the region and threaten US interests.

IANS