The United States military has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships since the start of the war with Iran, including a drone-carrier vessel now engulfed in flames, according to the top US commander overseeing operations in the Middle East.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads United States Central Command, said American forces had inflicted significant damage on Iran’s naval capabilities during the ongoing campaign alongside Israel.
“The US military has sunk over 30 Iranian ships so far,” Cooper said, adding that the vessels include “an Iranian drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier.”
“And as we speak, it’s on fire,” he said.
Cooper also said Iran’s ballistic missile activity has declined dramatically since the first days of the conflict. Ballistic missile attacks by Iran have fallen about 90% compared with the first day of the war, he told reporters.
Cooper said the reduction reflects the impact of sustained US and Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. He added that the United States is deploying a number of new capabilities during the campaign, including systems designed to counter Iran’s growing drone threat more efficiently.
“If I just walk back a couple of years, you remember you used to always hear, ‘we’re shooting down a $50,000 drone with a $2 million missile. These days, we’re spending a lot of time shooting down $100,000 drones with $10,000 weapons,” Cooper said.
One of the key systems in use is the LUCAS attack drone, which Cooper said was developed after US engineers captured and reverse-engineered Iranian drones.
He described the system as “indispensable” in the current conflict.
Cooper’s remarks come as fighting between Iran and the United States and Israel continues to expand across the Middle East.
Cooper has previously been involved in indirect diplomatic efforts with Iran as well. In February, he participated in indirect US–Iran talks in Oman, appearing in dress uniform as a reminder of the American military buildup in the region.
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(With inputs from agencies)
