ALBAWABA- About 140 U.S. service members have been injured by Iranian missile and drone attacks since the start of the American military campaign against Iran, the U.S. Department of Defense said Tuesday, as operations entered their eleventh day.
According to Pentagon figures, eight troops sustained severe injuries, while 108 have already returned to duty. The update was delivered during a briefing by Gen. Dan Kin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who detailed the progress of the campaign known as Operation Epic Fury.
Kin said the joint force remains focused on three main objectives: destroying Iran’s ballistic missile and drone capabilities, neutralizing Iranian naval assets, and degrading the country’s military-industrial infrastructure.
U.S. strikes have targeted missile launch sites, command centers, and storage facilities in an effort to protect American personnel, regional allies, and maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon also said operations are aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the strategically vital waterway.
Since the last operational update, the U.S. Central Command has struck more than 5,000 targets across Iran. Strategic bombers have dropped dozens of GPS-guided 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on underground missile platforms, particularly along Iran’s southern flank. Several facilities producing suicide drones were also destroyed, according to the military.
Working with regional partners, U.S. forces have also intensified interception efforts using fighter jets and attack helicopters. The Pentagon said these operations have reduced incoming ballistic missile attacks by roughly 90 percent and suicide drone strikes by 83 percent since the campaign began.
On the naval front, more than 50 Iranian vessels, including a drone carrier, have been destroyed through combined air, sea, and artillery strikes. U.S. forces are continuing operations against mine-laying ships and maritime storage facilities.
The campaign follows the broader military offensive launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure, and assassinating top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
