Double 'Shock And Awe' -- US Pounds Iran With Massive Assets
WASHINGTON -- The United States has destroyed 17 Iranian naval vessels -- including a submarine -- and struck nearly 2,000 targets across Iran in less than four days, according to the commander of US Central Command.
In a video statement posted on X on March 3, Admiral Brad Cooper said the sweeping military campaign -- dubbed Operation Epic Fury -- represents the largest US buildup in the Middle East in a generation.
“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship under way in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper said, describing what he called an unprecedented effort to eliminate Iran’s ability to threaten US forces.
Massive Firepower Deployed
More than 50,000 US troops, over 200 fighter aircraft, two aircraft carrier strike groups, and long-range bombers are participating in the operation, Cooper said. He described the opening phase as nearly double the scale of the 2003 “shock and awe” campaign in Iraq.
US forces, operating alongside Israel, have conducted continuous strikes “from seabed to space and cyberspace,” he said.
According to Cooper, American forces have:
- Struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions;
- Severely degraded Iran’s air defenses;
- Destroyed hundreds of ballistic missile launchers and drones;
- Sunk 17 Iranian ships, including what he described as Tehran’s most operational submarine.
US B-2 and B-1 bombers carried out deep strikes on missile facilities inside Iran, while B-52 bombers targeted ballistic missile infrastructure and command centers, he said.
Naval forces launched waves of cruise missiles from two carrier strike groups, while US Army units fired long-range precision strike missiles -- known as PrSM -- in combat for the first time, although it was not clear from where they were launched.
A drone task force, dubbed “Task Force Scorpion,” also deployed one-way attack drones originally based on Iranian designs, Cooper said.
Iranian Retaliation
Tehran has responded by launching more than 500 ballistic missiles and over 2,000 drones, Cooper said, accusing Iran of “indiscriminately targeting civilians.”
Despite the retaliation, he asserted that Iran’s ability to strike US forces and regional partners is diminishing.
“We’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,” Cooper said, adding that US forces are now hunting Iran’s remaining mobile ballistic missile launchers.
Calling the campaign “immensely complex and historic,” Cooper praised US service members across all military branches and expressed confidence that American and allied forces would meet their objectives.
“We’ve just begun,” he said. “But I have the utmost confidence that we, alongside our partners, will absolutely achieve our military objectives.”
We are now closing the live blog for the day. We'll be back at 7:30 a.m. Central European time to cover the latest events across the Middle East.
UAE Bans Travel Of Its Citizens To Iran, Lebanon, Iraq
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on April 30 said it was banning travel by Emirati nationals to Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq, citing the Middle East war and other security concerns.
Since the US and Israel launched their air strikes on Iran on February 38, Tehran has targeted Gulf countries with retaliatory missile and drone launches aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure and US-linked sites.
"In light of current regional developments, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces a travel ban on UAE nationals traveling to the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lebanese Republic, and the Republic of Iraq," state news agency WAM reported.
It said the Foreign Ministry urged "all UAE nationals currently in these countries to expedite their immediate return" to the UAE.
With reporting by AFP
'Of Course' Iran Will Play In Soccer World Cup, FIFA Chief Says
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said "of course" Iran will compete in World Cup matches in the US during a meeting of the soccer governing body's congress in Vancouver, Canada -- held without the Iranian delegation after an incident at the airport upon its arrival.
"Let me start at the outset. Of course, Iran will be participating at the FIFA World Cup 2026. And, of course, Iran will play in the United States of America," Infantino said on April 30.
"And the reason for that is very simple, we have to unite. It is my responsibility, our responsibility."
US President Donald Trump said he was "OK" with Iran playing at the world's most-watched sporting event.
"Well, if Gianni said it, I'm okay. Did Gianni say it?...You know what? Let them play. Well, Gianni's fantastic, he's a friend of mine. He talked about it," Trump told reporters.
Iran qualified for the tournament, set for June 11-July 19, but its participation has been in doubt amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.
Tehran requested alternative venues for matches in the US, but the request was denied.
Iranian soccer federation officials, including President Mehdi Taj, were scheduled to attend the congress but turned back at the Toronto airport after what Tehran described as “unacceptable behavior” by Canadian immigration authorities.
Taj is a former member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Canadian officials said entry decisions were made on a case-by-case basis and individuals linked to the IRGC, which Canada designates as a terrorist organization, would not be allowed in the country.
With reporting by Reuters
Israel Says May Be Forced To 'Act Again' Against Iran
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on April 30 his country may be forced to "act again" against Iran to ensure that Tehran is not "a threat" again.
"US President Donald Trump, in coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is leading the efforts to achieve the campaign's objectives, to ensure that Iran does not once again become a threat to Israel, the United States, and the free world in the future," a statement published by Katz's office said.
"We support this effort and are providing the necessary support, but it is possible that we may soon have to act again to ensure these objectives are met," it added.
The joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran stopped on April 8 due to a cease-fire agreed upon between Washington and Tehran.
A cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon followed, significantly reducing hostilities in the region. However, both Israel and Hezbollah have continued to exchange attacks in southern Lebanon.
A militant group and political party that controls much of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is considered a terrorist organization by the US, while the European Union has blacklisted its armed wing but not its political branch.
Starmer Accuses Iran Of Trying To Harm British Jews
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer accused Iran on April 30 of trying to "harm British Jews."
"We need stronger powers to counter the sinister threat from countries like Iran, because we know they want to harm British Jews," he said, according to a statement from the British prime minister's office.
His remarks came a day after a man attacked two Jewish men with a knife in a street in north London.
Starmer has previously stated that Iran has been trying to target British Jews. In late February, he warned that the Iranian regime poses a direct threat to the Jewish community in the UK. He reiterated those concerns in mid-April about malign state actors using proxies against Jewish targets.
Starmer did not provide further details in his April 30 statement about how Iran was trying to harm Jews -- or if Iran was connected to the stabbing in north London.
Since the US-Israeli war with Iran began, attacks on Jews have increased in Britain
Trump Urges Merz To Prioritize Ukraine Over Iran
US President Donald Trump has said that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz should "spend more time on ending the war with Russia/Ukraine" and "less time on interfering with those that are getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat."
Trump made the comments on his TruthSocial platform.
Trump has been at loggerheads with Merz in recent days after the German chancellor said that the Iranians were humiliating the United States in talks to end the war.
The US president responded on April 28 that Merz didn't know what he was talking about. On April 29, Trump said that Washington was "studying and reviewing" the possible reduction of US troops in Germany.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Says Again That Iran Intends To Control Strait Of Hormuz
Iran parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has reiterated Tehran's intention to control the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on X to mark Persian Gulf National Day, Qalibaf said that "by exercising control over the Strait of Hormuz, [Iran] will ensure that it and its neighbors enjoy the precious blessing of a future free from the presence and interference of America.
Persian Gulf National Day marks the anniversary of a historic military victory in 1622, when forces of the Safavid Empire expelled the Portuguese from the Strait of Hormuz.
"After 115 years of occupation, we expelled the European colonizers from the Persian Gulf, and we celebrate Persian Gulf Day in honor of this victory," Qalibaf said.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global oil and gas supplies, to most international shipping, while the US Navy is stopping Iranian ships entering or exiting Iranian ports.
There have been reports that the US is considering a new proposal from Iran to end the war in which Tehran would open the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Moscow's Military Axis With Iran Impacting Battlefield, Ex-Pentagon Analyst Matthew Tavares Says
WASHINGTON -- The deepening military partnership between Moscow and Tehran has moved beyond simple arms deals and into a sophisticated cross-continental defense ecosystem, according to a former Pentagon analyst.
Matthew Tavares, who specialized in Russian military strategy and US foreign policy, suggested the West is no longer facing a partnership of convenience but a strategic alignment that spans the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of warfare.
In an interview with RFE/RL on April 29, Tavares breaks down the "democratization" of precision strikes, the vulnerability of high-end US assets, and why the externalization of Iran's defense industry may make its military infrastructure nearly impossible to dismantle.
To read the whole interview, click here.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Issues Rare Statement, Says Iran To Secure Strait Of Hormuz
- By Kian Sharifi
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a defiant statement where he pledged to secure the Gulf region and eliminate what he described as "the enemy's exploitation of the waterway," a reference to a US blockade of vessels calling at Iranian ports after passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a rare statement since he was made leader following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US and Israeli air strikes on February 28, Khamenei said Iranians both inside and outside will guard the country's maritime, land, and air borders.
The younger Khamenei, 56, has not appeared in public since his father's death, and US officials have said that he is believed to have been severely wounded in the strikes.
Blockage of the strait -- Iran has blocked all maritime traffic except those vessels it approves -- has ravaged a key supply route, sending oil prices higher and compounding concerns about the war's effects on the economy, both globally and at the gas pump, where prices have also jumped.
Iran's Currency Falls To Record Low As War, US Blockade Rattle Economy
Iran's currency has fallen to a record low against the US dollar as the two-month-long conflict rattles the country's sanctions-hit economy.
Air strikes by the United States and Israel, launched at Iran on February 28, along with the American naval blockade on Iranian ports and vessels, have disrupted Tehran's vital oil exports, hampered domestic production, and fueled inflation.
Iran's national currency, the rial, dropped to a new low of 1.81 million to the US dollar on April 29 before rebounding the next day. The rial has seen its value fall by nearly 15 percent in recent days, according to Iranian media.
To read the full report, click here.
