Category
Latest news

US Navy Wipes Out 17 Iranian Warships as Operation Epic Fury Dominates Gulf Waters

2 min read
Authors
Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
US Sailors prepare to stage ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, at Sea. (Source: Getty Images)
US Sailors prepare to stage ordnance on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, at Sea. (Source: Getty Images)

American forces say they have dealt heavy blows to Iran’s naval capabilities during the ongoing Operation Epic Fury, destroying multiple warships and forcing Iranian vessels out of critical maritime routes in the Middle East, according to US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper on March 4.

Cooper said American forces have already destroyed 17 Iranian naval vessels during the operation.

We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.

DONATE NOW

Among the ships hit was what Cooper described as the pride of Iran’s navy, the country’s most advanced submarine, which suffered catastrophic damage and is no longer operational.

The US military, Cooper said, has been conducting precise attacks on Iranian military assets.

“We are conducting precise surgical strikes against Iranian military targets,” he explained, adding bluntly: “Simply put, we are focused on shooting at anything that can shoot at us.”

The admiral went further, stating that US forces are effectively “sinking the Iranian fleet.”

According to Cooper, the campaign relies heavily on strategic bombers, including the Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, which have been used to strike Iranian naval assets and supporting infrastructure.

He also said Iranian warships have largely disappeared from key regional waterways, including the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

Cooper framed the development as the end of what he described as years of harassment of international shipping by Iran.

“For decades the Iranian regime harassed international shipping,” the senior US commander said. “Today there are no Iranian ships operating in these waters.”

Earlier, US Central Command confirmed that American forces struck an Iranian drone carrier at the start of Operation Epic Fury.

“The TRUTH: The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. US forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury.”

The vessel identified by US officials is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy–operated IRIS Shahid Bagheri, a converted commercial vessel that Tehran commissioned last year as a sea-based platform for unmanned systems.

See all

Support UNITED24 Media Team

Your donation powers frontline reporting from Ukraine.
United, we tell the war as it is.

Join MonthlyGive One Time