The US has destroyed 17 Iranian warships, including a submarine, in its ongoing military operations against Iran, the commander of US forces in the Middle East said.
“In simple terms, we’re focused on shooting all the things that can shoot at us,” Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), stated in the message on X.
He described “uncontested surgical strikes” carried out by B-2 and B-1 bombers, emphasizing the relentless pace of operations.
“We are also sinking the Iranian navy — the entire navy,” Cooper added. “Thus far, we’ve destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including the most operational Iranian submarine that now has a hole in its side.”
Tehran has not confirmed the destruction, and if accurate, it highlights a massive blow to Iran’s naval capabilities.
Iran’s submarine fleet, while limited compared to major powers, has long been a key element of its asymmetric naval strategy. The country operates a small number of larger diesel-electric boats, including three Russian-built Kilo-class attack submarines, alongside domestically produced vessels.
The “most operational” submarine that Cooper mentioned is widely believed to be Iran’s indigenously built Fateh-class submarine, which entered service in recent years and represents one of Tehran’s more advanced warships.
The Fateh-class has a displacement of approximately 593 tons, features four to six 533-mm torpedo tubes, and can fire torpedoes such as the Valfajr series or underwater-launched anti-ship cruise missiles. They are optimized for littoral operations, ambushes, mine-laying, and restricting access to superior naval forces in contested waters.
Reports indicate the submarine was targeted and severely damaged—likely by precision airstrikes, resulting in a major hull breach that has rendered it inoperable.
This loss could be a major blow to Tehran, as the Fateh-class submarine was touted as a step toward self-reliance, bridging the gap between the older Kilo-class and the numerous smaller Ghadir-class submarines.
Ghadir boats, numbering in the dozens, are designed for guerrilla tactics, including torpedo and mine attacks, but lack the endurance and payload of the Fateh.
The destruction of the Iranian submarine by the American military is part of the overall effort to neutralize Iran’s naval fleet.
CENTCOM has prioritized strikes on naval bases like Bandar Abbas and Konarak, as well as key assets such as the converted drone/helicopter carrier IRIS Shahid Bagheri (sunk early in the operation) and forward basing ship IRIS Makran (burning in port).
Satellite imagery from commercial providers has shown plumes of smoke, fires, and sunken vessels at these sites, corroborating US claims of widespread damage.
“For decades, the Iranian regime has harassed international shipping. Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” Cooper declared. “And we will not stop.”The comments come four days into Operation Epic Fury, the US-led military campaign that has involved more than 50,000 US troops, over 200 fighter aircraft, aircraft carriers, and continuous 24/7 strikes.
The US military commander in the Middle East said that US forces had struck nearly 2,000 targets so far in Iran as part of the largest firepower buildup in the region in a generation.
“We’ve already struck nearly 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions. We have severely degraded Iran’s air defenses and destroyed hundreds of Iran’s ballistic missiles, launchers and drones,” Admiral Brad Cooper of US Central Command said in a video message. “The first 24 hours of this operation were nearly double the scale” of the first day of shock-and-awe strikes on Iraq in 2003, “and we continue with 24/7 strikes into Iran,” he added.
US President Trump said the US had “knocked out” Iran’s navy, along with its air force and radar systems, and that the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the waterway through which one-fifth of global seaborne oil passes.
Earlier, Iran had claimed hitting USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles; however, the CENTCOM rejected the assertions and said: “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close.”
CENTCOM added: “The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a US aircraft carrier. The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier.”
The sinking of the Fateh-class submarine underscores the rapid erosion of Iran’s Navy. This is another massive blow to Tehran after the destruction of Iran’s drone carrier, Shahid Bagheri.
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