English transcript

Hi, I'm Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of

US Central Command, here to provide another

update on Operation Epic Fury. First, I want

to remember and honor our fallen warriors who

made the ultimate sacrifice in the KC-135 refueling

aircraft incident last week. We hold their memories

and their families, their friends and their

teammates in our prayers. Their selfless service

and dedication hardens our resolve. For 16 days,

we've delivered overwhelming firepower deep

into Iran. This past Friday, US forces executed

a large-scale precision strike on Kharg Island,

destroying more than 90 Iranian military targets,

including storage bunkers for naval mines and

missiles, and other military infrastructure.

To date, our Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps

aviators have collectively flown more than 6,000

combat flights, demonstrating the unmatched

capability of America's joint force as we maintain

air superiority over Iranian skies. We continue

to remain centered on our military objectives.

These are well-defined and include eliminating

Iran's ballistic missiles, drones, and naval

threats. It's one thing to defend by striking

launchers and intercepting missiles and drones,

but it's another thing to eliminate the wider

manufacturing apparatus behind them. And we

are doing that today. We've talked about it

in concept. Here's what it looks like in reality.

Let me show you, for the first time, a few examples

of how we are dismantling Iran's defense industrial

base, which will prevent threats to the region

into the future. Here, you see a photo from

March 1st of a naval drone storage facility

located near the Strait of Hormuz. This is the

same location eight days later, completely destroyed.

Next, here's a photo taken of an attack drone

production factory in Tehran on March 5th. Here's

that same factory six days later after a devastating

barrage of US air strikes. And finally, the

Yazd military depot, pictured here last month.

These eight buildings are part of the IRGC's

missile command infrastructure and are used

to produce light and heavy weight torpedoes.

Now, here's that same military depot just last

week, or what's left of it. US and partner strikes

are doing exactly what they are intended to

do: deliver on very clear military objectives

to eliminate Iran's ability to project power

against Americans and against its neighbors.

We're also zeroed in on dismantling Iran's decades-old

threat to the free flow of commerce through

the Strait of Hormuz. Through a combination

of air, land, and maritime capabilities, we

have successfully destroyed over 100 Iranian

naval vessels, and we aren't done. We will continue

to rapidly deplete Iran's ability to threaten

freedom of navigation in and around the Strait

of Hormuz. Our progress remains steady, and

we remain vigilant against the enemy. Now, a

few thoughts about Iran. Over the last two weeks,

they have launched attacks on Oman, Saudi Arabia,

Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, Turkey, Azerbaijan,

the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Kuwait,

and Bahrain. In each of these countries, they

are deliberately attacking innocent civilians.

They've done this more than 300 times, which

demonstrates their true nature as a global leader

of terror. And just the last few days, the Iranian

regime launched a reckless attack against civilian

neighborhoods in Tel Aviv with cluster bombs,

an inherently indiscriminate type of munition.

We join countries across the region in condemning

this aggression, and we stand shoulder to shoulder

with our partners in bolstering our own defenses.

In sum, I will reinforce what I've said before:

Iran's capabilities are declining as our capabilities

and advantages continue to build. And finally,

I'd like to talk about the extraordinary 50,000

Americans who are deployed across the region

executing this vital mission. It's long been

my belief that every success we have begins

and ends with our people. And today, I'd like

to recognize our unsung heroes, the sustainers

enabling America's joint force to unleash this

devastating firepower 24/7. To be clear, there's

no other military on earth that does logistics

like the US military, and our team is at the

top of their game today. They're managing distribution

networks that span thousands of miles to ensure

that munitions, fuel, and supplies reach warfighters

on the front line on time, every time. To all

our sustainers and logisticians, thank you and

keep up the great work. And to the entire Operation

Epic Fury team, keep pushing, remain steady,

fight to win. Thanks so much, and Godspeed.