US military says it has struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran

US forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against the country on Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US forces in the region, said on Tuesday.

"Our military in the Middle East is undertaking an unprecedented operation to eliminate Iran's ability to threaten Americans," CENTCOM's Admiral Brad Cooper said in an operational update on X.

"We've already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran's air defences and destroyed hundreds of Iran's ballistic missiles, launchers and drones," Cooper said.

Within less than 100 hours, the military also destroyed 17 Iranian warships, he added. Among the targets attacked was Iran's "most operational" submarine.

The aim is to sink the entire Iranian navy, he reiterated.

"Today, there's not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf [also known as the Persian Gulf or the Gulf], the Strait of Hormuz or Gulf of Oman," Cooper said, adding that Iran has been harassing international shipping for decades.

The US information could not initially be independently verified.

The United States and Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Iran on Saturday, sparking a regional escalation as Tehran fired missiles at US bases in several Gulf states.