“In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire.”
US admiral touts navy success against Iran: ‘As we speak, it’s on fire’
It is also known that over the past 72 hours, American bombers have carried out strikes on about 200 targets deep inside Iran
Commander of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper (Photo: open sources)
During the entire US Epic Fury operation, more than 30 Iranian ships have been destroyed, and several hours ago American forces struck the enemy’s aircraft carrier — a drone carrier, states the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper.
“You may have heard the president say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true at the moment. We’re now up over 30 ships,” the CENTCOM commander said.
According to him, the US carried out strikes on Iran’s drone aircraft carrier several hours ago.
“As we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper noted.
The admiral also reported that over the past three days, the US military has struck nearly two hundred targets deep inside Iran from the air, including around Tehran.
Brad Cooper also said that in just the past hour, American B-2 bombers dropped dozens of heavy bombs aimed at launchers for Iranian ballistic missiles located underground.
Regarding Iran’s retaliatory attacks, the CENTCOM commander noted that their missile strikes have decreased by 90% since the first day of the conflict, while the number of drone attacks has dropped by 83%.
On March 4, the head of US Central Command, Brad Cooper, spoke about how American forces are sinking the Iranian fleet.
Earlier, it was reported what goals the US is pursuing in the war with Iran — the White House explained them in detail.
Israel is also fighting against the Iranian regime. Tel Aviv announced a second phase of confrontation with the Islamic state, which will be aimed at underground storage sites where ballistic missiles are kept.
Iranian Drone Carrier the Size of a WWII Aircraft Carrier BURSTS INTO FLAMES After Direct Hit by U.S. Forces
A massive Iranian drone carrier, reportedly roughly the size of a World War II–era aircraft carrier, has been left engulfed in flames after a direct strike by U.S. forces, according to senior American military officials providing an update on the escalating conflict with Iran.
The dramatic strike was revealed Thursday by U.S. Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper, who confirmed that American forces had targeted the ship in the latest wave of attacks aimed at crippling Tehran’s military infrastructure.
“In just the last few hours, we hit an Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. And as we speak, it’s on fire,” Cooper announced during a briefing.
Cooper did not elaborate on which carrier was struck or where it was located.
The burning ship may be the second Iranian drone carrier destroyed or disabled by U.S. forces since the war began.
In the opening hours of the conflict on February 28, U.S. forces struck Iran’s first drone aircraft carrier, IRIS Shahid Bagheri, according to U.S. Central Command.
Commissioned in February 2025, the 240-meter vessel was designed to serve as a mobile platform for Iran’s expanding drone warfare strategy, allowing the regime to project unmanned aerial attacks far beyond its shores.
CENTCOM revealed the strike days later in a statement posted on social media, directly disputing Iranian propaganda claiming that Tehran had sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier.
“The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury,” the Central Command post stated.
🚫The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a U.S. aircraft carrier.
✅The TRUTH: The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier. U.S. forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation… pic.twitter.com/6npT8nJcAt— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
The latest strike on the burning drone carrier is part of a sweeping military operation aimed at destroying Iran’s offensive military infrastructure.
Admiral Cooper said U.S. forces have already destroyed or sunk more than 30 Iranian ships during the operation.
Cooper: “You may have heard the President say just a little while ago that we have sunk or destroyed 24 ships. That was true at the moment. We’re now up to over 30 ships.
[…]
The President gave us another task: to erase or level Iran’s ballistic missile industrial base. So we’re not just hitting what they have; we are destroying their ability to rebuild.
As we transition to the next phase of this operation, we will systematically dismantle Iran’s missile production capability for the future, and that effort is absolutely in progress.
This is going to take some time, but our forces are well supplied, as the Secretary said, and we are absolutely ready to prosecute this mission decisively.
Our combined joint forces have relentlessly destroyed Iran’s air defenses over the past few days, and they have continued hunting for more systems to eliminate. Our air defenders are operating at the very top of their game.
I couldn’t be prouder to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners in the region—many of whom are helping provide the most integrated air defense network in Middle East history.
We are fighting to win.”