March 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. military said it has hit almost 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions since launching its "unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran's ability to threaten Americans" while Iran has fired at least 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones, indiscriminately targeting civilians.
In an operational update posted to X late Tuesday, the commander of American forces in the Middle East, U.S. CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the more than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter jets, two aircraft carriers and U.S. bomber aircraft taking part, with more assets on their way, brought a "massive amount of firepower" to bear.
He said that in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, the United States and Israel delivered "overwhelming and unprecedented strikes" at nearly double the scale of those of the first stage of the U.S.-led offensive against Iraq in 2003.
"We're continuing with 24-7 strikes into Iran from seabed to space and cyberspace. We have severely degraded Iran's air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran's ballistic missiles, launchers and drones. In simple terms, we're focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us," said Cooper.
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