Pentagon says Iran’s missile attacks have dropped 90 percent, but warns the war is only just beginning

U.S. forces have reduced Iran’s missile attacks by roughly 90 percent and drone attacks by 83 percent since the start of Operation Epic Fury, a large-scale campaign targeting Tehran’s military infrastructure. As reported by Fox News, Pentagon officials say the early phase of the operation has delivered major blows to Iran’s naval and missile capabilities.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper shared the latest operational details during remarks from MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on March 5, 2026. The officials described the opening days of the campaign as highly successful, citing the destruction or sinking of more than 30 Iranian ships and significant damage to the country’s strike capabilities.

While those results have sharply reduced Iran’s ability to launch immediate retaliatory attacks, U.S. officials emphasized the conflict is far from over. The next phase of Operation Epic Fury will focus on dismantling Iran’s long term missile production systems in order to prevent the country from rebuilding its arsenal.

Officials say the campaign is only just beginning

According to Adm. Cooper, U.S. forces have carried out strikes against approximately 200 Iranian targets in the last 72 hours alone. The attacks included operations against buried missile launchers, command infrastructure, and air defense systems, as the school strike investigation remains ongoing.

B-2 bombers were deployed to hit hardened sites deep inside Iran, a move intended to limit both immediate launch capability and Iran’s ability to coordinate further strikes. The campaign has also severely damaged Iran’s naval presence.

Cooper confirmed that more than 30 Iranian ships have been destroyed or sunk, exceeding earlier estimates. He also noted that a large drone carrier ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier was recently struck and remains on fire.

Hegseth praised the pace and precision of the operation while addressing Cooper directly during the briefing. “In just days of Operation Epic Fury, you and your team have delivered nothing short of devastating, precise strikes taking out the better part of Iran’s navy, making it combat ineffective, neutralizing missile sites and launchers and establishing total dominance over the skies,” Hegseth said.

Officials also confirmed that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean earlier in the week. The incident marks another escalation in the maritime dimension of the campaign.

Despite the early successes, Hegseth made clear that the U.S. military buildup in the region is continuing. He said additional forces and capabilities are moving into position and warned that the level of combat power projected over Iran will grow significantly, amid protest warnings in Iran.

“Our capabilities are overwhelming and gathering still, as are those of our Israeli partners,” Hegseth said, adding that U.S. munitions reserves remain fully stocked and that the United States will control the timeline of the operation. Cooper confirmed that the mission is now entering a new phase focused on Iran’s long term weapons production.

Rather than only targeting existing missile stockpiles, the U.S. will begin systematically dismantling the facilities responsible for building them. “We’re not just hitting what they have,” Cooper said. “We’re destroying their ability to rebuild.”