Over 100 Iranian warships destroyed, US claims

March 17, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

In the latest updates from the Middle East conflict, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces have destroyed more than 100 naval vessels belonging to the Iranian Navy.

According to CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper, the combined use of air, land and maritime strikes has substantially degraded Iran’s naval capabilities. The CENTCOM statement, shared on social media platform Twitter, claims that the strikes are part of a broader operation to limit Tehran’s ability to threaten key shipping routes, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz.

View on Twitter.

The campaign, referred to by US officials as Operation Epic Fury, which started on February 28, reportedly includes over 6,500 combat flights targeting Iranian military infrastructure in addition to naval assets. Furthermore, over 7,000 targets have been struck so far.

“We have destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels — and our work is not done yet,” Admiral Cooper said.

Officials described the destroyed vessels as a combination of small combat ships, logistics vessels, and other surface units. The US has stated the campaign aims to disrupt Iran’s ability to project power at sea, although there has been no independent verification of the precise number or type of ships destroyed, and Tehran has not released comprehensive details on losses.

To remind, the US officials recently reported that 16 Iranian vessels identified as minelayers were eliminated near the Strait of Hormuz.

US eliminates 16 Iranian minelayers near Strait of Hormuz

Operations

Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy commander Ali Reza Tangsir recently revealed that the navy carried out coordinated strikes against US military bases in the Gulf, claiming significant damage to strategic installations across the region.

The Iranian Navy forces targeted key installations at U.S. military bases in Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain, and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, claiming that among the assets destroyed were Patriot missile radar systems, air traffic control towers, aircraft hangars, central aircraft ramps and aviation fuel storage facilities.