The United States has destroyed an Iranian submarine and 16 other vessels as part of its expanding military campaign against Iran, striking nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions, according to the head of United States Central Command. The operation, known as Operation Epic Fury, has involved continuous air and drone strikes on missile facilities, naval assets and command centers. Officials say Iran has launched more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones in retaliation, but claim Tehran’s ability to respond is weakening.

American bombers have carried out what military leaders described as uncontested surgical strikes on missile infrastructure, while naval operations have effectively eliminated Iran’s active fleet in key waterways. More than 50,000 United States troops and over 200 fighter jets are now deployed across the Middle East, marking the largest American military buildup in the region in a generation.

The conflict has also brought significant casualties and regional fallout. Four American service members were killed in a drone strike on a logistics facility in Kuwait, and a separate friendly fire incident led to the downing of three American fighter jets by a Kuwaiti aircraft, though the pilots survived. Iranian drone attacks have damaged facilities used by the Central Intelligence Agency in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, while civilians in the Gulf region have also been killed or injured amid ongoing missile and drone strikes.