▲ This photo, released by AFP, shows Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, speaking during a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the command's headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026. (Yonhap)

CENTCOM-Iran operation

U.S. military has struck more than 5,500 targets in Iran, including over 60 ships: CENTCOM

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, March 11 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. military has struck more than 5,500 targets in Iran, including over 60 ships, since its operation against Tehran began late last month, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday, noting it also hit a large Iranian ballistic missile manufacturing facility the previous day.

CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper offered an update on the operation, codenamed "Operation Epic Fury," in a video reiterating that it aims to end Iran's ability to project its power and "harass" shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically vital waterway responsible for about one-fifth of the world's oil supplies.

Cooper pointed out that the U.S. military took out the last of four Soleimani-class warships, as he characterized the U.S. strikes as being "unpredictable," "dynamic" and "decisive."

He also noted that a U.S. bomber force hit a large ballistic missile manufacturing facility on Tuesday night.

"So it's not just about what's shooting at us today. It's also about eliminating the threat in the future," the admiral said in the video posted on X.

Cooper highlighted that the U.S. military is harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, underscoring that it is achieving lethal effects on the battle ground in "entirely new ways."

"Our fighters are leveraging a variety of advanced AI tools. These systems help us sift through vast amounts of data in seconds so our leaders can cut through the noise and make smarter decisions faster than the enemy can react," he said.

"Humans will always make final decisions on what to shoot and what not to shoot and when to shoot, but advanced AI tools can turn processes that used to take hours and sometimes even days into seconds."

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