The United States military has eliminated 17 Iranian naval vessels, including a submarine, and carried out close to 2,000 strikes across Iran during the initial phase of President Donald Trump’s military campaign against the Iranian regime.

The figures were disclosed by U.S. Central Command commander Gen. Brad Cooper, according to Reuters.

In a video message posted to X, Cooper said Iran’s naval forces have effectively ceased operating across the region’s key maritime routes.

“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper said in the video.

The numbers highlight the sweeping scale of the U.S. operation authorized by Trump. Administration officials say the campaign is designed to dismantle Iran’s ability to threaten Americans, Israel, and other U.S. allies throughout the Middle East.

According to CENTCOM, the military effort is focusing on Iran’s command-and-control networks, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and other installations connected to attacks on U.S. forces and allied nations.

Stars and Stripes reported that American forces have deployed a wide range of military assets in the campaign’s opening days, including aircraft, naval vessels, missiles, and drones. The number of strikes had already exceeded 1,000 early in the operation as additional targets were identified.

President Trump has said the intensity and scope of the attacks have severely weakened Iran’s military capabilities, stating that the country’s armed forces have effectively been “knocked out” and that critical components such as the navy, air force, radar network, and air defenses have been neutralized, according to reporting by Time.

Military Times and Axios also reported that Trump said U.S. forces destroyed nine Iranian naval ships and that Iran’s naval headquarters had been “largely destroyed,” describing the maritime campaign as proof that Tehran is rapidly losing its ability to project power across the region.

Officials at the White House have not provided a detailed schedule for how long the conflict may continue. Administration statements have largely emphasized that the campaign will proceed until the threats posed by Iran to the United States and its allies have been eliminated.

The Guardian reported Monday that Trump indicated the operation might last about four weeks, while also suggesting the timeline could change depending on Iran’s continued retaliatory actions.

Security analysts cited in international coverage say that despite suffering heavy losses to its conventional forces, Iran may still attempt to drag out the conflict through missile launches, drone strikes, and the use of proxy militias.

There are also growing signs that Tehran has expanded its retaliation beyond its own territory by striking U.S. facilities and allied countries throughout the Middle East.

The U.S. State Department announced Sunday in a joint statement with Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates that Iran had carried out “missile and drone attacks” across the region following the American-Israeli strikes.

Al Jazeera reported Sunday that explosions and air defense activity were detected in several Gulf cities, including Dubai, Doha, and Manama, as Iran continued attacks targeting American assets and regional partners.

ABC News reported Tuesday that the United States shut down its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait amid the escalating situation, citing U.S. officials who said Iranian drones struck near the U.S. Embassy compound in Riyadh.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that an internal State Department alert said the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh suffered structural damage following what it described as a drone attack.

The Guardian also reported Tuesday that Iranian missile and drone strikes have targeted American and allied facilities across several Gulf states, including a drone strike near the U.S. consulate in Dubai that triggered an emergency response.

Al-Monitor reported Monday that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly claimed responsibility for attacks on U.S. targets and said the retaliation extended to several Gulf countries that host American forces.

The spread of Iranian missile and drone attacks across multiple countries has strengthened the Trump administration’s argument that the military campaign is aimed at preventing a wider regional threat to the United States and its allies.

{Matzav.com}