00:00Hi, I'm Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Central Command, here with my fifth update on
00:04Operation Epic Fury. We're in the fourth week of the campaign and remain on plan or ahead of plan
00:10in achieving very clear military objectives for eliminating Iran's ability to project power in
00:16meaningful ways outside its borders. U.S. forces have struck more than 10,000 military targets.
00:22In fact, we hit the 10,000th Iranian target just hours ago. And if you combine what we've
00:28accomplished with the success of our Israeli ally, together we have struck thousands more,
00:33clearly demonstrating that we're stronger together. Our precision strikes have overwhelmed
00:38Iranian air defenses and our combat flights over Iran are having tangible effects.
00:43Here are a few examples. For decades, Iranian warships have roamed regional waters,
00:49threatening and harassing global shipping. But those days are over because we've now destroyed
00:5492 percent of the Iranian Navy's largest vessels. They are not sailing, and my operational assessment
01:01is that they've now lost the ability to meaningfully project naval power and influence around the region
01:08and around the world. As we've highlighted previously, Iran's drone and missile launch rates
01:13are down by more than 90 percent, meaning their ability to attack American forces and regional neighbors
01:19is drastically reduced. And not only have we significantly degraded Iran's naval drone and missile
01:26capabilities, we've also removed the regime's ability to rebuild them.
01:30Before Operation Epic Fury, Iran had large-scale manufacturing capacities to not only build naval vessels,
01:38missiles, and attack drones, but also to advance and proliferate these technologies to regional
01:44and global bad actors. Today, we have damaged or destroyed over two-thirds of Iran's missile,
01:50drone, and naval production facilities and shipyards, and we're not done yet.
01:54We are on a path to completely eliminate Iran's wider military manufacturing apparatus,
02:00which is why my operational assessment continues to be Iran's combat capability is declining
02:05as U.S. combat capability continues to increase.
02:09U.S. forces maintain air superiority over Iran's skies, having now flown over 10,000 combat flights.
02:17As I mentioned in my last update, refueling tankers are extending our reach, and fighters
02:22and bombers are delivering precise strikes against our primary objectives. Let me highlight our B-52
02:28bomber force, which is executing a high volume of strikes into Iran and demonstrating our unmatched
02:34dominance in the air. Now, in their eighth decade of flight, our B-52 bombers are executing strikes
02:41into Iran with up to 70,000 pounds of munitions on each mission.
02:46Our B-52 pilots and aircrew embody the courage and resilience of the more than 50,000 American
02:52sons and daughters serving in uniform during this operation. There is no adversary too determined,
02:57no mission too difficult, and no task too great for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, guardians,
03:04and coast guardsmen. I just could not be prouder of our troops, and I know the American people
03:09share that same pride. Thanks so much. Godspeed.
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