Pentagon Report: The U.S. Has Achieved Air Superiority Over Iran Four Days After Action Began

Investing.com - U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday at the Pentagon that, just four days after the start of “Epic Firestorm Operation,” the United States has full control of Iranian airspace.

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Hegseth, speaking alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Dan Gaine, said that U.S. and Israeli forces currently maintain uncontested control of Iranian airspace and can conduct operations against Iranian military targets around the clock.

According to Hegseth, the operation began Saturday morning, with air forces involved twice the size of the 2003 Iraq invasion, and seven times the intensity of Israel’s operations during the “12 Days of War.”

General Gaine reported that Iran’s ballistic missile launches have decreased by 86% compared to the first day of fighting, with a 23% drop in the past 24 hours alone. Iran’s drone launches have decreased by 73 since the initial phase of the operation.

The Pentagon confirmed that six U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict. Four of them are identified as members of the Iowa-based 103rd Maintenance Command of the Army Reserve: Captain Cody Cook, Sergeant First Class Noah Tijden, Sergeant First Class Nicole Amour, and Sergeant Deckeran Cody. The names of the other two fallen soldiers will not be released until family notifications are complete.

Since Saturday, U.S. forces have struck over 2,000 targets, destroying more than 20 Iranian naval vessels, including a submarine. On Tuesday, a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean used a Mark 48 torpedo to sink an Iranian warship, marking the first time since World War II that the U.S. Navy has used torpedoes to sink an enemy vessel.

The Iranian frigate “Suleimani” was also sunk Tuesday evening.

Hegseth stated that U.S. actions have eliminated the Iranian Air Force and rendered its navy combat-ineffective. He added that senior Iranian leaders have been killed or are unable to communicate effectively.

The Pentagon is shifting from long-range munitions to GPS-guided precision gravity bombs weighing 500, 1,000, and 2,000 pounds. Hegseth said that the U.S. stockpile of these weapons is nearly unlimited.

According to Hegseth, over 90% of U.S. troops stationed within Iran’s missile range have already been relocated.

Regional partner countries including Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait are participating in the defense operations. Qatari fighter jets shot down two Iranian bombers, marking Qatar’s first involvement in such combat.

The Pentagon is investigating reports of an attack on a girls’ school in southern Iran on Saturday. Hegseth stated that U.S. forces never target civilian facilities.

General Gaine said that since Saturday, Iran has launched over 500 ballistic missiles and 2,000 drones at various targets in the region.

The objectives of this operation are to eliminate Iran’s ballistic missile systems, destroy the Iranian navy, and prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

This article was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.