Operation Epic Fury has destroyed 90% of Iran's defence industry, says CENTCOM chief

In a major assessment of ongoing combat operations in West Asia, US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Admiral Brad Cooper declared that American and allied military strikes have effectively crippled Iran’s long-term military capabilities. Speaking on the strategic outcomes of the multi-month campaign known as Operation Epic Fury, Adm. Cooper revealed the extensive scale of damage inflicted on Iran’s military infrastructure. "Operation Epic Fury significantly degraded Iran's ballistic missiles and drones while destroying 90% of their defence industrial base, ensuring that Iran cannot reconstitute for years," Cooper stated in an official CENTCOM briefing.

According to updates published by the White House, Operation Epic Fury was launched on February 28, 2026, as a coordinated, multi-domain response to neutralise escalating regional threats. The campaign initially targeted Iranian offensive weapons systems, launch networks, and air defences. However, as documented by regional security analysts at Flashpoint, the operation rapidly evolved from localised containment into a comprehensive campaign targeting the deeper logistics, production hubs, and energy systems sustaining the Iranian military.

The destruction of nearly 90 per cent of the regime's defence industrial base marks a critical turning point in the conflict. Pentagon briefings from the Department of War note that targeted strikes focused systematically on manufacturing plants, drone assembly facilities, and missile foundries. By levelling these production pipelines, allied forces have severely limited Iran's capacity to replenish its depleted stockpiles of precision-guided munitions or to continue supplying weapons to regional proxy networks.

Furthermore, CENTCOM forces have strictly enforced a defensive naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, halting the inbound flow of material resources. Adm. Cooper on Mat 14 confirmed that high concentrations of naval firepower, including guided-missile destroyers and attack helicopters, remain deployed to safeguard global commerce and prevent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from disrupting crucial shipping lanes.

The White House maintains that the strategic objectives of the operation, including permanently denying Iran a pathway to nuclear weapons and neutralising its ballistic threat, remain absolute.