CENTCOM: 50,000 US troops, 200 jets join massive Iran campaign

2026-03-04 - 05:32

The scale of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has been laid bare by the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), who detailed an unprecedented deployment of American forces. In a video message on Tuesday, Gen. Brad Cooper announced that over 50,000 troops, 200 fighter aircraft, and two aircraft carriers are taking part in the joint operation, now in its fourth day. Massive Strikes and the Sinking of Iran's Navy General Cooper described the scope of the offensive, stating that US and Israeli forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets across Iran using more than 2,000 munitions since the campaign began. In a significant escalation, he also declared, "We are also sinking the Iranian Navy, the entire navy. Thus far, we've destroyed 17 Iranian ships." This marks a major expansion of the conflict to the maritime domain, targeting Iran's naval capabilities in the Gulf and surrounding waters. Iran's Retaliation and US Casualties The CENTCOM chief acknowledged that Iran has launched large-scale retaliatory attacks, firing over 500 ballistic missiles and more than 2,000 drones targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting US assets. Despite this, Cooper claimed that "Iran's ability to strike US forces and allies is declining as the campaign continues." However, the campaign has not been without cost for the US. CENTCOM announced that six American service members were killed and several others wounded in an Iranian strike on a tactical operations center in Kuwait, marking the first US combat deaths in this new phase of the war. A Regional War Engulfs the Middle East The staggering numbers provided by CENTCOM illustrate the magnitude of the conflict ignited by the US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, which killed nearly 800 people, including Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The operation represents the largest US military buildup in the Middle East in a generation, effectively plunging the region into a full-scale war. With the US openly targeting the Iranian navy and launching thousands of strikes, while Iran retaliates with barrages of missiles and drones, the conflict shows no signs of de-escalation. The international community, including Türkiye, watches with deepening alarm as the violence threatens to expand further and destabilize the entire region.